The Lost Talisman
by Chianna
Summary: Chapter 17 UPDATED Movieverse. Some new mayhem as Alex and Lara take on a Incan tomb together. Lara must find the talisman before drug kingpin Julius Sosa finds it and subjugates the world. Bryce & Hillary along too.
1. Comes a Pale Horseman

**Author's notes:** Yeah, it's a movieverse story that got it's birth in from a comment in the director's commentary about how the one test audience that they previewed the movie for said that they wanted more of the Alex West character. Though definitely not classically handsome, there is certainly something about Alex and sensual appeal. I know that Kurtis and game related fic are more popular on this site, so I hope you VG fans can forgive me and I'll try to deliver a fair balanced splash of mayhem, action, mystery and a dash of romance.

And yes Bryce fans, I do have a soft spot for our favorite geek.

Any lovers of Peruvian and Incan history - please forgive me these flights of fancy and liberties I take with one of the greatest civilizations of all time.

**Disclaimer:** Tomb Raider, Lara Croft, her image and likeness are trademark and copyright © of EIDOS Interactive and Core Design. No infringement or challenge to these copyrights is intended. Alex West, Hillary and Bryce belong to Simon West and the PTB's at Paramount Studios.

**The Lost Talisman **

Chapter 1 – Comes A Pale Horseman

Hillary opened the door to an officious little man whose suit screamed solicitor.

"How may I help you?" Hillary requested, with an air of someone who was loath to offer any assistance to someone that might upset the calm of his household. Hillary and Bryce had seen too many of his type come to Croft manor and impart sad news or information that would plunge his lovely employer into untold dangers.

A thick brown package tied in twine was clutched firmly in the stranger's hands. The man replied. "I am here to see Lady Croft. My name is Gilbert Radfield. I'm with the law firm of Sommers, Whitfield, & Branscomb."

Cheeky as always, Bryce's head popped out from around one the pillars. "Hear that Hill? He's not one of the partners." Approaching the nervous little man in the doorway, Bryce continued, "I'm sorry chum. Lady Lara doesn't do business with anyone less than the head of the firm. She has standards."

A quietly menacing voice joined them in the person of Lady Lara Croft herself. "It is probably now obvious to this visitor, Bryce, that if I did have standards, I wouldn't let you within 50 feet of the door."

"Aw, Lara. I was just having a bit o' fun."

Trying to suppress a smile that she did not want to reward Bryce with, Lara extended her hand to the man at her door. "Lara Croft. And how may I help you, Mister…?"

"Radfield." The lawyer's palm was sweaty and he seemed distinctly more nervous in this lovely woman's presence. "I'm here on behalf of Alex West. He requested that we deliver this packet to you."

"Oh just great, the American again." Bryce popped off. Hillary jabbed him efficiently in the ribs and Bryce shot him a dirty look.

At the mention of Alex's name, Lara felt a pang of regret. It had been almost a year since the Illuminati affair and Lara had not laid eyes on Alex for over nine months. The American was annoying to be sure. But even after he had betrayed her by stealing the prayer wheels, Alex West still found a way to worm himself into her heart.

'Worm' being the operative word.

And yet. In those moments, as she watched him fall into the water with Powell's knife obscenely protruding from his chest, Lara couldn't imagine her life without the annoying American popping into it from time to time. Lara knew exactly what it would feel like to lose him as she breathed his last breath under the water in a kiss. When their lips parted, she could see in his eyes that he knew he wouldn't make it. Likely her attempts had only prolonged his agony as the giant gears crushed his trapped leg. With the last of his strength, he'd waved her away. And then she had dealt with Powell who had so cavalierly dished out death to those she cared about.

After that adventure, they'd been together for a while, but their lives and adventures had separated them again. Alex had been plagued with reoccurring dreams that he wouldn't talk about. For her part, Lara couldn't talk to him about the events during the alignment. Then, they just drifted apart. Better that way, Lara assured herself. Someone had found a way to use her affection for the rogue against her once. It could happen again. And she wasn't willing to bet his life on it again. There was no triangle of light to bring him back a second time.

"If you'll just sign here Miss, I'll be leaving."

Lara snapped out of the past and into the present. Hillary produced a pen like magic from one of his pockets and she abstractedly jotted down her signature. Turning away with the packet, she thought of something and turned back to Radfield as Hillary was escorting the lawyer out.

"I'm sorry Mr. Radfield, it is thoughtless of me. Do you need to stay to await a response from me? I can have some refreshments brought to you while you wait."

The lawyer look startled for an instant and then his face took on a sad and compassionate appearance.

"Lady Croft. It is I who should apologize to you. I was under the impression that you were already informed. Mr. West suffered an accident in the Andes two days ago and when word was relayed by a Mr. Sosa to West's solicitor in Lima of his death, this packet was over-nighted to our care."

Lara's eyes drifted down to the packet and Hilary saw the pain in them as her fingers tightened white-knuckled. Hillary stretched his arm out to touch Lara's shoulder, but in the space of that moment to the next, Lara straightened and steel flashed in her eyes once again.

"Thank you for your consideration Mr. Radfield. If I am in need of further assistance on this matter, I will be in touch."

Lara turned once again and made her way to the library. In the distance she heard Bryce say to Hillary, "I'm telling you Hills, no good has ever come of letting one of those types into the house. Next time, you need to keep that little sawed off popper you're so fond of in the foyer and scare the bugger right out of the mansion before he gets a chance to bring more bad news to our Lara."

Hillary was distracted as he followed Lara to the library. "Oh, just shut up, will you Bryce." Then, regretting the terseness of his response he added. "Sorry Bryce. I was thinking that very same thing."

Sitting at her desk, which had once been her father's, Lara opened up the bulging packet. Two smaller packets and a slim envelope addressed simply to 'Lara' lay in front of her. Gingerly she picked up an Etruscan dagger she used as a letter opener and slit open the packet.

Standing in the doorway, Hillary said, "Lara, dear. Do you need anything?"

"No Hillary. I'm fine."

"I know you are Lara." Grabbing the handle of the door, he gently started to close the door. "We're here when you need us."

To the closed door Lara gently responded, "I know. I've always counted on it."

She turned back to the envelope and unfolded what looked like two pages ripped out of a field notebook. Alex's masculine and angular writing scrawled down the two pages. As she began to read, she could swear she could hear his cocky Midwestern twang in every word.

_Lara, honey, _

_Guess this is the proverbial "If you get this letter…" letter. _

_I'm not quite conceited enough (stop smiling, Lara) to think that you'd shed a tear on my behalf. Too much water's flowed under that bridge. But I need your help this one last time. _

Lara could almost see almost see Alex's lopsided smile and laughing blue eyes. She smiled back at his image in her mind's eye.

_So here we are. I instructed a lawyer here in Peru to get this to you if I was reported missing or dead. I know you're thinking that it's easy enough to miss a check in or two… but given where I was going – much less what I was going after and the company I was keeping… Well, let's just say that I took a long shot knowing that the deck was already stacked in the house's favor. _

_I know what you're thinking, and it wasn't the money - this time. You'll allow me my areas of expertise and Pre-Columbian is one of them. When certain parties interested in locating this particular tomb approached me, I had inkling as to what they were after. Frankly it put the fear of God in Mrs. West's blue-eyed, fair-haired boy. If they hadn't shown me the tablets, I would have laughed in their faces. Instead, those fools might find a way to destroy the world_

_I know you'll snort quite elegantly when you read this, but last year's Illuminati business changed me. I couldn't call you for help this time. I couldn't bring myself to be the cause of any harm coming to you. Couldn't get you to say what happened that day, Lara, and I never pushed it. I know the knife that buried itself in Powell was heading for me, when something changed. I think I know what you did and I have an inkling of what you sacrificed to make that happen. None of which would have been necessary if Powell hadn't gotten an idea of what you meant to me. Must have been someone watching us at the waterfall in Cambodia?_

_So I guess here is your chance to call me a hypocrite again. Couldn't shoot you then, wouldn't get your help before I left on this little jaunt and now I'm asking you to come to Peru. It's the damned equivalent of asking you to play Russian roulette with all the chambers loaded. But you're the only hope now for a lot of people and maybe even the future of most of the world. __Always told my drinking buddies that you were a better man than I was, Lara.__As __the__ say, in __vino__veritas_

_Now I need you to prove it and succeed where I must have so obviously failed. _

_Enclosed you will find copies of my sketches and notes as well as a scan of a rubbing of the tablet that they did not know I made. They'll probably have all of the originals. You're my clever girl and I know you'll find a way to beat them and find the treasure. Hell, it's likely that my (I'd like to think) untimely demise will be heralded by Julius Sosa and his goon squad approaching you to carry on where I left off. You're the best. I was probably just cheaper. Play them kiddo, and never drop your guard around Sosa for a moment. If I was stabbed in the back, it'll be his initials that you'll find on the knife. _

_There's more I'd like to say, but I wouldn't want to encourage you to dig me up just to laugh in my face. With any luck I went out doing what I love. Hell, in another thousand __years__ maybe I'll be part of a find displayed in some museum of failed Tomb Raiders. _

_I wish I could say I have no regrets, but there are a few. You'd figure prominently in a couple, sweetheart. _

_There's a gift for you in one of the packets. I've made my fair share of mistakes and it's taken me a while to raise the scratch needed to make amends for one of the biggest. _

_Take care and give my best to Hillary and Bryce. _

_Yours always, _

_Alex_

Lara then opened the flatter of the two packets and from it came the promised documents. Included with them was an extensive dossier on Sosa. Alex had made a mistake with Powell that he was not going to repeat with Sosa. From the details of the dossier, this time at least, Alex knew the type of snake he was getting in bed with.

Head of an international drug cartel based in Bogotá, Sosa was no one to be trifled with, Lara thought. What was Alex thinking? Then she unfolded his field notes… and she knew.

Sosa was after the Talisman of Manco Capac - a fabled Incan device that gave the wearer control over all who heard his voice. No wonder Alex wanted to keep the amulet away from Sosa. It would give him greater control and power than all the money from all the sales of any drug he could illicitly acquire. Her attention was drawn to the oddly bulging envelope that remained unopened.

Lara knew without opening the envelope what was inside. She sliced the packet and a delicately wrought prayer wheel with exquisitely executed silver filigree fell into her palm. A card fell to the table and on it Alex had written:

_Lara, _

_Now my prayers can always be with you. _

_Alex_

Lara held the grip in her hand. Oddly, the metal felt warm, as if another hand recently held it. She twirled it as she was sure that Alex must have done.

"You should have kept it for yourself, Alex."

She knew what she needed to do. Hillary and Bryce were alerted to Lara's emergence from the library as the door slammed open.

"Hillary, we'll need to file a flight plan for Lima, Peru immediately."

"Lara, I'm sorry about Alex, but you shouldn't do anything rash."

"That's just it, Hillary. Alex isn't dead. Believe me, I know what it felt like when Alex was dead, when I knew my father was dead. And I can't tell you how I know, but Alex West is very much alive. But I'm not sure for how long. We need to hurry."

"Lara, this is crazy,' muttered Bryce.

Lara smiled sublimely, "Welcome to my world."

Bryce shook his head. "So I take it we're off to save the world again as well as one Alex West?"

"Absolutely."

_**TBC…**_

I hope you liked this. Tell me if you think I should continue or if it's a bust. As always, any continuity issues, story insights and constructive criticism are always welcome.

En vino veritas: In wine – truth.


	2. The Calm Before

Ok y'all. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the terrific reviews for this new story. I really appreciate this and hope you can all stick with me to the end!

- Chianna

**Suetekh Seshat** – Just the best kind of review that anyone could ask for. Balanced and well thought out. I especially appreciate when I hear comments on how I portray the characters. I'm comfortable with Alex & Hillary, Bryce & Lara a more of a stretch for me. So I'm counting on you to keep me honest. The wheel thing is a great catch, so I'm uploading a little correction. Actually you gave me a great idea for the story later on – or at least I hope you think so... So we'll just say that Alex stole five wheels and returned _one_ to Lara.

And Terry was OK – alright he was yummy for sure. But what was intimated about his military background in the movie was a bit of a foreshadowing (and turn off for me, I'm afraid) that he could turn on Lara too.

**Faith** – Thanks much Faith. I know I will. I only hope that some of the other authors that have stalled stories with return to them soon too. 

**The Grynne** – I love writing humour, almost as much as action. I hope that you'll enjoy the dialogue I have planned between a certain couple of tomb raiders in the near future.

**CSAngel** – I hope this new chapter isn't too slow for you. I promise more action – soon.

**Cato** – Exciting? I haven't even gotten into the action yet! I hope your not disappointed.

**Rapahella** – I'm glad you like the detail. This isn't a 'verse that I am as comfortable with as some of the others that I write in. I enjoyed writing the letter most – so I'm really glad that your liked it. I wanted to balance the humor with a touch of sentiment without it sounding like sap.

**Splash Fate** – Coming from Texas (by way of Chicago) makes Bryce and his dialogue a bit of a stretch for me. You'll have to keep me posted on how I do.

**The Lost Talisman **

**Chapter 2 – The Calm Before…**

She is compulsively contained, Bryce worried. For the past two hours, Bryce had done a poor job pretending to run diagnostics on the perimeter security systems. Every chance that he had, the computer wiz stole glances at his employer – his friend. Lara methodically went through each of the papers that West had sent to her. Notations were made, points highlighted, thought given. Then each item was returned to a leather portfolio Lara brought with her upon returning from her father's library.

Only her fingers slowly twirling a long strand of hair that had escaped her braid gave any sign she had been affected by the news. Hillary once said Lara did that when she was a child, especially when upset or preoccupied. It seemed to relax her. He said Lara's father would take advantage of it when Lara wouldn't go to sleep. He'd pull her into his lap and start to gently wind a lock of her hair between his fingers. Lara would try to stop him, especially if she was enjoying a good snit. But soon she'd sigh and snuggle into her father's lap and fall asleep.

Maybe the grownup Lara unconsciously did it because she craved to feel as safe as she did in her father's arms so many years ago. Bryce just hoped that it gave Lara some comfort, 'cause he certainly was at odds with anything he could do or say to make things better for her.

Lost in thought, Bryce looked up when he heard the scrape of the chair as Lara pushed herself away from the table. She pulled a leather loop over a wooden frog to seal the portfolio and stashed it in the worn pack that she took on all her adventures. She looked up and caught Bryce staring.

"You're lit up, Bryce."

Looking confused, Bryce eyed his drink. Looking affronted, Bryce held up his glass. "It's just OJ sweetie, the nectar of a few fresh fruits. Terribly healthy for me, don't you think? Any way its very déclassé to start any serious drinking before 10 am."

"Seeing that you only just recently realized that caffeine is not a vitamin – I'd have to agree." Lara pointed to the area somewhere behind Bryce's head. He realized she was gesturing to the computer.

Bryce spun round in his chair as Lara continued.

"The way the system's _lit up_, it would look like we are being invaded by an entire armored division."

Bryce turned to see what Lara was talking about and knocked over the orange juice glass. He scrambled to sop up the mess before some of the more delicate parts of his computer system were compromised. Abstractedly he tried to explain, "Uh, well I was just running it through a few…diagnostics."

Not fooled by his performance, Lara smiled and simply stated, "Right."

Lacking a certain amount of subtlety, Bryce tried to deflect his boss's attention, as his fingers flew over the keyboard in an attempt to restore the security system.

"So did the Yank give you anything that will help?" Given the way Bryce said _Yank_, it sounded like a four letter word

Lara only answered with a noncommittal "Mmmm."

Bryce didn't get a chance to fish for more information. Hillary approached with papers that were likely the plans for their little jaunt to the Americas.

"Lara, I hired Dave Jenkins to pilot the Lear. He was surprised that you didn't want to take her out yourself. He also filed the flight plan."

"We may need for someone to baby sit the plane and be ready at a moments notice to take off. I'm not willing to risk you two, since you are coming, by being your only option as a pilot. If something happened to me, you two would be stranded."

Bryce had never heard Lara admit failure might be a possibility – or to her own mortality. What the hell had West sent her in those papers?

Handing Lara the flight plan he was carrying, Hillary continued. "Jenkins said he planned for us to land in a _rustic_ little airport that you had told him about. He wanted to know if you had the hydraulic system on the landing gear recently checked. He wasn't laughing either, Lara. Should I be concerned?"

"Concerned? We're about to fly into the middle of nowhere on the word of a bastard that stole from Lara and trade niceties with a South American drug lord who is probably responsible for checking in bodies to most of the nicer morgues around the bleeding planet. Concerned? Understatement of the bloody millennium."

Lara moved gracefully to a cabinet and opened it to reveal an armory that would go a long way to outfit a fair-sized SAS team. She pulled her twin chrome plated 45s from the wall and inspected them. Still facing the wall, she stated simply and quietly, "You don't have to go."

"Like hell. Bond has "M" and you have me!"

All three heads turned when Bryce's computer sounded an alert seconds before the front doorbell announced the presence of visitors. Lara's face that had softened just moments ago into lines of mirth, hardened into grim lines.

_It's likely my untimely demise will be heralded by Julius Sosa and his goon squad approaching you to carry on where I left off, _Alex had written. Bryce hit a button on the keyboard and instantly his screen dissolved into a surveillance camera view of the doorway to the mansion. Three men of distinctly Latin American parentage stood in the mansion doorway.

"It looks like your security equipment is sensitive enough to alert us to vermin, Bryce. Hillary, I'll see our guests in the library." Lara looked at Hillary and he immediately went to the door, shaking his head, muttering something about moving his shotgun to the umbrella stand in the entry hall. 

When Hillary admitted the visitors to the library, Lara was sitting at her father's mahogany desk, she was cleaning one of the 45s. Though one gun was broken down in front of her, Lara had the other on the desk within a lighting move of aiming and firing.

That's our girl, Hillary thought.

"Lady Croft. Julius Sosa and associates here to see you."

To this moment, Lara had not deigned to look up. Upon Hillary's announcement of the guests Lara picked up the intact 45 and pushed the chair back from the desk with her foot. Leisurely, placing both of her feet crossed on the desk, Lara wiped down the very intact 45 with a cleaning cloth as she greeted the group. The message in ever taught line of her body abundantly clear. _Mess with me and you'll not see the sun rise on another day._

In front of her was a man who had long since put his humble beginnings behind him. Though of moderate height, the cut of the charcoal grey Bond Street suit emphasized the caged power of the man before her. Dark eyes met Lara's from across the desk. The ruggedly handsome face was marred by the sense of ruthlessness that seemed to permeate the very air he breathed in and out. Ebony hair, sleek as a mink's coat, fell over his forehead but did nothing to soften the dark granite-like features.

"Mr. Sosa, what brings you to England?"

Walking to the desk, Sosa leaned over, placing both hands on the desk.

In softly accented English, Sosa replied, "I have a penchant for acquiring beautiful and dangerous things, Lady Croft. So, of course, I came to England in search of you."

TBC… 

Next stop, Peru. Lara may make a discovery that does not involve any antiquities…


	3. The Rules of Acquisition

**The Grinne – **Ah, you've found my weakness. My occupation & training deny all but the sparsest use of adjectives and adverbs. Now that I am trying to learn the fiction writer's craft, I fall in to these traps by over compensating. I don't have the aversion to adverbs that Mr. Leonard does (I hope you're looking forward to seeing the movie version of the Big Bounce as much as I am). But, after looking at the sentence, the use of the adverbs seemed lacking in imagination. Keep up the good work. I appreciate it!

**Cato – **I see we have another Bryce fan in our midst? Caffeine make the world go 'round.

**CS Angel – **Ok, I know this** - **_It's great, not it's not great it's greater then great – _Would you be a fan of satellite television of just the absolutely divine Andy Garcia? You made me LOL – Thanks!

**Chapter 3 – The Rules of Acquisition**

"Acquisition is often a stickier proposition than the acquirer first supposes, Mr. Sosa."

Julius Sosa chuckled humorlessly, "I've found that the appropriate amounts of money, strategically applied, do wonders for the acquiring-minded."

Lara arched a delicate brow in thinly veiled impatience. "I don't imagine that you've traveled all the way to England to give me lessons in capitalist market economies. What would your business be here, Mr. Sosa? There are no strung out teenagers to buy your wares here."

The men on either side of Sosa lurched forward. Sosa raised one hand nonchalantly, never breaking eye contact with Lara. The two henchmen returned to their places with hands crossed in front of them.

Lara smiled blithely at Sosa's two 'assistants.' "That is quite the nifty little trick. How long did you have these two enrolled in obedience school before they could do that?"

Sosa smiled a genuine smile for the first time since walking into Croft mansion. "I find that I am in need of a Tomb Raider and you, Lady Croft, come highly recommended."

Lara eyed Sosa with barely veiled boredom.

Sosa eyes closed ever so slightly, concealing some of their intention and possibly no small amount of irritation. "Let's just say, another Tomb Raider, who was formerly in my employ, spoke highly of your skills."

Lara sensed a fishing expedition, and decided to rise to the bait - but only so far. "My, Mr. Sosa. I don't imagine that 'former' employees in your line of work live long enough to collect a pension. Might I enquire as to why you are in the market for a new Tomb Raider?"

Sosa looked smugly at the young woman. He seemed confident that he was maneuvering the young woman in the direction that he wanted.

"My previous acquisition specialist met with an… unfortunate accident." Sosa spoiled the regretful tone with a poorly suppressed sneer. There was no doubt that there was some malignant satisfaction on Sosa's behalf. Earlier, disconcerted by Lara's lack of interest, he gained a little of his swagger back as he related this information. If he had not been searching her face for reaction, he might have curbed his enthusiasm upon catching sight of the sudden whitening of Lara's knuckles on the 45 she was holding.

For the first time, Sosa's face showed surprise at his inability to get a rise out of the dark beauty before him. Frustration led him to be less subtle. "I believe that you knew the poor fellow. An American by the name of Alexander West. I do believe I've read somewhere that you have had dealings with him in the past."

"Ah yes. Mr. West and I have worked together. Our interactions have often been rife with thoroughly unsatisfactory results." A feral smile, that rivaled Sosa's, crossed Lara's face. "No one gets a second chance to disappoint me."

Lara sent up a silent apology to Alex. If he were alive, as she believed, it would serve him ill to let Sosa think that he meant anything to her. Although, she rationalized, in the strictest sense, most of her statements were true on a professional and personal level. Only the final was a lie – Alex had earned his second chance.

Lara realized, in a flash of inconveniently timed insight, when it came to the enigmatic Mr. West, she had yet to thoroughly examine her objectives on a personal level.

Something else troubled her. She was more than a little convinced by the way the conversation was going, Sosa guessed or had intelligence that there was history between the two tomb raiders.

Carelessly and with more than a little malice, Sosa replied, "Ah well than, Mr. West's misfortune might be my own buena suerte. I do not deal well with failure. Nor do I keep company long with those who disappoint me." Still looking for some rise from Lara, he was disappointed by her level gaze. "As it seems we are of a like mind, I'd want to know if you would be interested in helping me liberate an antiquity that I have an eye on."

"An just what would motivate me to throw my lot in with you?" Lara continued without need for modesty, "I have no need of your money or resources, as you may have already deduced."

Sosa threw back his head and laughed. "I like you Lara Croft. We have much in common. But this I can guarantee you. En mi paiz, access to the site only comes through me. But I will make you a deal. At any time during our adventure, if you see something that you desire – it will be yours – no questions asked – as payment for services rendered." All joviality was swept from his face, as his devious gaze bored into Lara's own. "I do believe that you will find something that you will make your trip worthwhile - if you come with me to Peru."

"An intriguing invitation, Sosa. Tell me more about the location and what we are after."

Sosa started to drone on about the subject of the talisman – which, of course, she was already aware of. Lara's attention drifted. He came around the desk and pulled papers and maps out that he spread in front of Lara, pointing out locations of interest. His passion for his subject blinded him to the waves of thinly camouflaged hatred that radiated from Lara's stiff form next to him.

The cause was quite simple. Spread out before her were the mates to the paperwork that Alex sent her only that morning. With only one difference. Here, spread out before her, were the originals - in Alex's own hand.

Time, past and present, collided for the girl who had lost her father to the treachery and ambitions of another. Not again, she vowed – never, never again.

**_TBC…_**

Didn't expect that this would come as fast as it did. I promise, Peru is coming soon - and the fate of one blond Tomb Raider will be revealed. Hopefully this weekend. The readers of my other 'verses are getting a tad frustrated (and rightfully so) for me to update some other stories. You guys have been fab and your reviews - along with a lot of caffeine - are what power much of my writing. Drop me a line any time:


	4. Built For Speed

**Corrections:  _As per Suetekh's information, I've uploaded an edit to chapter one that acknowledges that Alex stole multiple prayer wheels (5 – though I don't mention a specific number.)  The rest is the same as Alex only returns one to Lara.  _******

**Cato – No ass kicking needed, though it's kinda short.  More to follow by tomorrow at the latest******

**CS Angel – Glad you're liking this Lara.  I'm trying to keep a balance of wiseass, good friend & warrior chic.******

**Faith – You'll get your Alex fix soon.  Next chapter.  Though I can't promise what condition he will be in.  Remember he's supposed to be dead, right?  Mwahahahaha.**

**Suetekh Seshat** – I have yet to portray Hillary with any weapon, though I think it's realistic to think that Bryce would tease him about the shotgun episode from the first movie.  I don't think Hillary would fail to respond and maybe even play with the idea of putting a shotgun in an umbrella stand – though I don't think that _any_ proper English butler would ever follow though with it. 

As for 'Tomb Raider' being a term that Lara would call herself – well I didn't have her actually say it out loud.  I have a problem with everyone being overly PC and I think Lara is the kind of woman that would scorn this as well.  Most words have the connotation that the speaker spins. Alex calls her a 'tomb raider' in the movie novelization and it is said as a compliment acknowledging her greater skill.  I don't think that Lara would consider herself an archeologist and I have a tendency to believe she would be most brutally honest with herself.  But this is MHO and there is a world of room for everyone's interpretation.  I enjoy this discussion, as it gives me pause for thought and it is greatly appreciated.

**Laniecrof**t – If you can picture it than I'm very flattered indeed! 

**Raphaella** – Seeing as you are from the UK and most of the characters I'm dealing with are British, I really do appreciate your 'spot on'.  I see Bryce as being a bit more slangy in his speech and by far his dialogue is the hardest for me to write.  Any suggestions or corrections you have will be appreciated.

****

**Chapter 4 – Built For Speed**

Already three hours into the 12-hour flight to Lima, Bryce was still dining out on Lara's besting of the infuriating Latin after taking off from the airport.   

Sosa had arrived before them at the small commuter airport.  He was standing with other members of his party outside an old but well cared for DC-6 - a favorite of smugglers on six of the world's seven continents.  Lara had eyed the length of the runway.  Sosa was a risk taker.  And he probably had money to burn.  He had to have greased more than a few palms to get permission to land such a large craft at this airport.

Lara realized they were spotted when Sosa waved her over.  Maneuvering her Landrover, she pulled up to the knot of men at the foot of the ramp to their plane.  The moment Lara rolled down the window, Sosa greeted her.

"A wonderful plane, no?  There is still room for you and your friends, Lara.  Do you mind me calling you, Lara…Lara?"  It did not seem that Sosa was concerned about needing an affirmative from Lara.  

Pompous prick, Lara thought.  

"It does look as if you have room to spare.  Unless you've been conducting business?"

Choosing not to be offended by the reference to his primary business of transporting and dealing illicit drugs, Sosa grinned back at her.  "Even when traveling for pleasure, one should not skimp on the finer things."  

Lara gave the lumbering cargo plane a second, if somewhat, cursory glance.  "I've always been a believer in form following function."

"Then you see the advantage."  This was no question.  With the hubris of a man accustomed to power, Sosa assumed Lara's appreciation.  "Are you sure that you would not like to travel in comfort with us.  You take your legendary independence too far to deny yourself and your friends the advantages of my hospitality."

"Father always taught me to live within my means.  We'll be fine with the arrangements that my butler has made."

Clearly disappointed, Sosa sketched a short bow.  Assuming that Lara's mode of transportation was humbler than his own, he made an error in interpretation that Lara was not prepared to correct just yet.  "Well them, you have the directions to the site.  I will have comfortable accommodations prepared for your eventual arrival."

"Indeed."

Within 15 minutes, the DC-6 was taxiing off the runway.  Jenkins and Lara were reviewing the preflight checklist in the cockpit.  Hillary was seeing to the last of the equipment being stowed.  Already staking out a comfortable seat in the cabin, Bryce was testing his computer and firming up his satellite connection.  It was 9:30 am, Greenwich, and Bryce calculated that even if they didn't push it, they'd be landing in Peru about 6 pm local time.  

Hillary entered the cabin and shook his head at the mess of paper, wires and Bryce-ware that was already spread over the couch in the cabin.  Long having given up on trying to give Bryce organizational advice, Hillary decided to check in with Lara.  

He popped his head into the cockpit.  "Are we ready, yet?"

Lara paused in her concentration.  "Five more minutes."

Bestowing an angelic smile on Hillary, she added, "Oh and I changed my mind.  I'll be taking the jet up for the first leg of the trip."

Sensing mischief a foot. Hillary added a sternly stated, "Lara."

Smiling, her explanation did nothing to settle the butler's concerns.  

"I promise not to do anything _foolish_ until we are over international waters."

The way Lara put emphasis on the critical word, it was obvious she was using Hillary's definition and not her own.  Looking at Jenkins, Hillary noted the man simply smiled wryly and shrugged.  Lara was an expert pilot, and both knew that she would not do anything that would risk her passengers.  

Five minutes later, the Lear Bombardier 60 was climbing to 25,000 feet with remarkable speed.  In comparison to the DC-6, the Bombardier was a raptor in the sky.  Its signature wing bent at a 90 degree angle at the wing's tips and sleek pointed nose gave it a hawkish look.

As ones eyes traveled down the planes body one major difference with commercial jets could be noted.  Instead of being mounted on the wings, twin jet engines were mounted to the back of the aircraft's body just in front of the tail assembly.  

She's got a fire in her ass, Bryce had described accurately though rather crudely during a previous trip.  She could climb to 41,000 feet in 19 minutes – rivaling any aircraft in her class.  

It did not take long for the Bombardier to overtake the more lumbering DC-6.   Lara throttled back to match the speed of the slower aircraft.  With no more than a wingspan between the two aircraft, it was easy to see the faces that appeared in the ports of the larger jet.  

Hailing the pilot in the DC-6, Lara relayed a message to be given to Sosa.  Then, inexplicably the Bombardier slipped behind the DC-6.  All eyes including Julius Sosa's peered into the empty sky.  Then like a streak of silver lightening, the smaller jet streaked past the older, heavier plane.  It was at this moment that Sosa opened the message handed to him by the copilot.

It stated simply:  _Form follows function._

Sosa recognized a worthy adversary when he saw one.  And this one was, indeed, built for speed.

**_TBC…_**

Just a quick, as I am starting the next chapter, which will be a long one.


	5. The Prize

**Well you have all been so patient with me up to this point - I had to give a little payback.  Before I knew it, this was one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. You are all the best!  Thanks for the ideas and support.  **

**Faith** – Have faith, Faith.  I hate sad endings.  I hope I haven't mislead you too far and you are satisfied with Lara's choice of payment.  As for more stories, we'll have to see if this one turns out alright.

**The Grynne** – Ok, I bow to sheer numbers on the 'tomb raider' thing.  You and Suetekh Seshat are right.  But that leaves me with a dilemma.  What would a forthright woman like Lara call what she does?  You're right about Sosa starting out as a typical baddie from central casting, but up until now it was important that Lara feel she has the upper hand until they are on his turf.  Then I think some of his affable veneer will crack and more of the monster will be revealed.  I'd love to hear any ideas you have or if I've headed in the right direction with his character in this chapter.  Drop me a line.

**Cato **– Thanks about the description, I do love to do research for stories and work it into the plot.  ****

**CS Angel **- I'm not sure if this will fit the bill for action, which will hopefully come in spades once I get Lara and friends after the talisman.  I hope you like it anyway.  

Chapter 5 – The Prize 

Lara was quite satisfied with the time they made.  They had crossed into Peruvian air space just after 4 pm.  She'd turned over the controls to the jet several hours earlier.  Stretching out on the couch, Lara thought it was prudent to catch a nap.  Once they arrived at the camp, she would surely have to meet with Sosa.  Looking for Alex would have to wait until most in the camp were asleep.  

The airstrip was little better than Lara had remembered it some five years ago.  Torches had been replaced with gas lamps to allow night landings on the solitary strip.  Little else had been done to modernize the operation.  To the left of the runway was a small shack that housed the airport's headquarters.  Jenkin's radioed in their intention to land and received a lukewarm yet affirmative confirmation.  

Lara immediately disembarked and went out in search of transportation to the dig site.  Her good fortune and flawless Spanish were enough to secure two sturdy though ancient Jeeps.  Hillary and Bryce sniped at each other as they stored supplies and equipment.  The practicalities of travel and dealing with Sosa had done much to distract Lara.  But every once in a while her thoughts would turn to Alex.  Only when her mind was not preoccupied, did she worry they were already too late.  Lara made her measure of Sosa first hand and she was afraid that Alex's assessment of his character may even fall shy of his true malignacy.  So where did that leave Alex?  To push the uncertainty out of her mind, she dealt with practical things.  She worked out a series of check-in times with Dave Jenkins.  Via the satellite phone they could keep in touch, which would be important as he was leaving again within the hour.  Lara was convinced that most of the area was in Sosa's control and leaving their one means of transportation vulnerable was completely out of the question.  Jenkins would fly to Lima and await instructions.  At worst, he would be only an hour away.  

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Arriving in camp, Lara and her friends realized that though they had beat Sosa to the dig, news of their arrival had preceded them.  Any hope that Lara had of investigating the camp without Sosa's goons breathing down her back was dashed at the sight that proved he had more than enough goons to spare.  Their jeeps were greeted and they were quickly ushered to a hut near the center of the compound.  The buildings looked to be more of a village than some hastily constructed camp.  Lara would not be surprised to find out Sosa had commandeered the village.  Her thoughts snapped back to the present upon hearing Bryce's strident voice raised in obvious alarm.  

"Bloody hell.  Don't you buggers know to be careful with computer equipment?  This isn't a blasted luggage commercial.  Take it easy."

Hillary was already inside the hut putting away their supplies and belongings.  When Lara was satisfied that the large men with guns were carrying in their bags and planned nothing else, she left Bryce to his fussing and followed Hillary into the hut.

Unpacking one of the suitcases, Hillary did not look up, but spoke very softly to Lara.

"They seem quite interested in our bags."

"Hmmm."

"I figured you would notice."

"Short of x-ray vision, their curiosity is not going to be satisfied tonight."  Just as she finished the statement, a small crash came from outside.  Lara smiled at Hillary and returned outside.  On the ground was one of the metal utility trunks.  Very functional, one could imagine that if could carry hardware of a very martial nature.  Instead three very large men and Bryce were staring at a pile of clothes and some very delicate…and intimate ladies apparel.  

"Well now boys, I don't imagine that you would look good in any of my things.  Did you get a good long peek?"

Stammering with embarrassment, the leader of the three tried to place everything back in the case without actually looking at the objects in his hand or the case he was trying to jam it into.  

"We are much sorry, Señorita Croft.  It just slipped."  Closing the case, some of the clothes were still peeking out of the trunk.

"Oh, I'm quite sure that it just slipped," Lara replied with a wry smile.  

"Maybe he saw a little something that he would like for himself?" quipped Bryce.  The soldier gave Bryce a fierce glare, which sent him heading rapidly to see how Hillary was doing inside of the hut.

Lara left the men embarrassed in her wake as she took the case into the hut and shut the door in their faces.  

Hillary turned and smiled knowingly.  "So that would mean the guns are stored in the…"

Pointing to an expensive looking floral bag on the floor, Lara continued, "The Louis Vuitton…of course."

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Lara and her companions had almost finished unpacking when Sosa and his team arrived.  Sosa stepped into the hut and smiled at all three.  

"You are a woman of many surprises Lara Croft.  If I did not know better, I would think that you were being less than forthright with me." Sosa's affability only thinly hid his warning.  

''That I own a nice plane?  Really Julius.  I may call you Julius, Julius? Yours is quite nice too...in its own way."  Lara followed this remark with an insincerely sweet smile.  

Lara had to give the pirate his due. He did not rise to the bait.  

"Ah Lara, I have to say verbal fencing with you is very amusing. Would you and your friends join me for dinner?"

Lara turned to her friends and very imperceptively shook her head negatively even as she asked, "What do you think guys?" 

''It's been a long day. Could you just us send a snack over?  I think we're planning to hit the sack early."  

Bryce had not seen Lara's nonverbal message and started to open his mouth only to feel Hillary apply firm pressure to his toes. Never a dull boy, Bryce got the message. 

"It has been a long day, Julius.  Could I take a few moments and clean up.  Where should I meet you?" 

"We'll eat in my quarters.  Anyone in the camp can direct you."

"Until then."

Sosa sketched a short bow and took his leave.

The moment the door closed, Bryce took his finger and made like he was going to stick his finger down his throat.  

"Lara, how are you going to keep your food down in his presence?"

She had to smile at Bryce's more forthright relating of her own feelings.  "I've eaten snake before.  Tonight I'll be dining with one instead.  I'll just have to manage."  Lara's face grew serious.  "Actually I need a favor from you and it could be dangerous."  

Hillary could tell that this was the last thing that she wanted to ask of them.

"Actually, why would we come here with you, if not to help?"  

"Hmm, yes, your right.  Actually this mission is for Bryce.  Hillary, I'll need you to stay here and cover for him in case someone checks in on you while I am gone."

"Me, Lara?  You want me to do a 007 around the camp, reconnoiter adroitly and all that rot?"  

Lara could sense Bryce's excitement underlying a minor case of nerves.  "Bryce, all I want you to do is sneak peaks in all the huts in the area.  I'm hoping that we'll learn something about what has gone on here in the last few days."

Bryce knew exactly what Lara was not saying.  "Look luv, consider it done.  If that Yank is anywhere in this camp, Bryce Turing, secret agent extraordinaire is on the case."  Suddenly Bryce's face lit up.  "I've got an idea that will make you feel better about all of this." 

He ran over to a large duffel and started rummaging though it.  Wires, gizmos and robotic spiders fell around his feet until finally he yelled' "Eureka!"

In his hand was what looked for all the world like a freezer baggie filled with some odd bits of silly putty.  Lara looked quizzically at the pinkish bits of what not in the bag.

"Oh of course you wouldn't know.  You see, I was reading an article on micro-receivers, infinitely small… almost undetectable.  I had to have one and then I thought some…"

"I don't even want to know how much."

"That's good."  Bryce held up another bag with small oval patches.  "Guess what?"

Hillary finally lost his patience. "What, when, where and how – all in one sentence.  No more guesses, no more interruptions."  Lara shot him a glance of profound gratitude.  

"Alright already."  Gently he placed one of the receivers in Lara's ear.  "Now you see it, now you don't."  Reaching into the other bag of disks, he peeled off a thin backing and stuck it just to the side of his mouth.  

"Lara pet, this is radio free Bryce calling.  Can you hear me."

Lara's smile extended to a wide Cheshire Cat grin.  

"Of course, as small as the disk is, it would be noticed by your dinner host, but you can take it with you just in case.  Maybe for a trip to the lady's room.  What say?  You'll be with me every step of the way?"

"Bryce, you are truly amazing."

"Well if I do say so my self…"

"Try not to," Hillary pleaded.  "Try very hard."

Bryce shot the butler a sour glance.

Truly indifferent to how she looked for dinner with Sosa, Lara cleaned up and changed her shirt.  She strapped on the gun belt that held her twin 45s.  Everyone in the camp seemed to be armed.  When in Rome, she thought.  Then, she walked off into the night.

TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~***TR***~***TR***~***TR

Bryce was not far behind.  His cargo pants were loaded down with various and sundry survival items.  At least, survival items in Bryce's estimation.  What well dressed spy could go a'spying without his trusty Pocket PC loaded with all the features, flashlight and a can of Jolt – rocket fuel for the under-caffeinated. Systematically, he went to every hut.  Most were dark.  Probably all at Sosa the Snake's for dinner.  Most of the windows were covered with a woven fiber blind - none had glass.  And unfortunately, none seemed to conceal the object of his search.  

Knowing that too much chatter in her ear might distract Lara, he kept his message brief.  

"Checked all the huts, Lara.  If the Yank's in one of them, he's well hidden.  I'm heading back." 

Bryce had no idea how Lara took the news, but for himself, he was a bit dejected.  He didn't even like the bloke.  Well Lara did, and that was all that mattered.  Bryce returned to their humble abode and shook his head in answer to Hillary's unspoken question.  Walking over to a rough-hewn table, Bryce practically threw himself at his computer.  So deeply engrossed was he in what he was doing, that it wasn't until a small hand entered his line of sight that he noticed he and Hillary were not alone.

"Arrrrgh!"  Startled, Bryce turned on the intruder.  A small girl, maybe five or six, stood before him and seemed as surprised as he was.  Looking like a startled deer, ready to bolt, the girl took a step back.  

"Oh, sorry there, luv.  You scared the…"

"Bryce…"  Hillary voice increased in pitch as he scolded.

"Right, no bad words."  Bryce smiled at the little one.  "My name is Bryce, what's yours?"

"Elena."  The girl took a hesitant step toward him.  Oh my, thought Bryce, this one is a little stunner in the making.  Big honey golden eyes seemed to take up half of her face.  Her hair was in a braid that reached halfway down her back.  Elena gave him a tentative smile back and he was instantly smitten.  She was looking over his shoulder and at once he realized that he had found a soul mate.

"You like computers?"  His question was greeted with an enthusiastic nod.  

"Why don't you come here?"  Thinking that she would stand next to his chair, he was taken off guard when she climbed into his lap.  

She tilted her head up and asked.  "Can _usted_ find Dora _por mi_?"

"Dora?"

"Dora, the Explorer."

Hillary hissed, "The cartoon, Bryce."

"Right."  After a simple web search, Bryce opened up a website called Nick Jr. and the little one's fingers were off and running where she started to print out coloring pages and then proceeded to play Dora's backpack adventure.  

"You are a nice man too, Señor Bryce.  Do you have any chocolate?"

Bryce looked helplessly at Hillary, who came to the rescue with some of Lara's favorite Swiss chocolates.  

The girl exclaimed at the brightly decorated wrappers that protected each truffle.  She opened each very carefully and then folded the wrapper and put it in her pocket.  Only then did she put each morsel into her mouth. 

American TV show, computers and chocolate – Bryce had the first inkling of an idea.  

"Hey, Elena.  Do you have your own computer?"

"Oh, no Señor."

"So, how do you know about Dora.?"  For a moment, Bryce thought the little girl was going to cry.  

Softly she whispered, "I have _un amigo_.  He let me use his computer while he read and wrote in his books.  He gave me chocolate."  Unexpectedly, she reached back into her pocket and reverently pulled out a brown wrapper and spread it out carefully.  Before them was laid out a candy bar wrapper that proclaimed its brand and location of origin in one bold word – _HERSHEY_.

Hillary heard Bryce gasp and made his way around to the table.  Absently Bryce introduced him.

"Oh that's very good chocolate, too, luv.  Can you describe the man to me?"

"Claro.  Mamá said that he had _ojos de los angeles_."  Bryce looked at Hillary in confusion.  

"Eyes of the angels."  Bryce was confused when he heard this.  West was no angel.  His eyes were blue.  Then he mentally slapped his forehead.  Blue eyes would be rare in this part of the world.  Of course!

Hillary just a smidge ahead of Bryce.  "His eyes are blue?  _Azul_?"

"Sí, Señor Hillary, as you say…blue.  And his hair was the color de _maiz_ – ah… corn."

"You know I have a friend that looks like that.  Can you tell me your friend's name?"

"_Seguro_, his name is Aleex."  Both men started and the little girl again became nervous.  

Trying to seem more relaxed to put the girl at ease, Bryce asked, "We are looking for our friend by the name of Alex, too.  Do you know where Alex is?"

A single tear rolled down Elena's cheek.  "Mi _mamá_ say that Aleex _camina con los muertos._"

"Oh no," sighed Hillary.  Bryce looked to him, the unspoken question between them.

"Her mother says that West _walks with the dead_."

Bryce didn't know how they would tell Lara.  She had been so sure that he was alive.  At least they owed it to her to find out how it happened.  

"Tell us what happened to Alex, Elena."

"He is muy _simpatico_…very nice.  He gets water for _mi mamá_ who is the cook.  No one else helps like he did.  He would let me play here on his computer.  One day, he goes away and there is an accident.  They bring him here.  There is blood on his head, his leg."  Elena paused and Hillary produced water from somewhere and gave it to the little one.  

"There is much shouting from Señor Sosa who is mad at Señor Aleex.  They take him away and they hurt him.  I hear Aleex yell many bad words at Señor Sosa.  I asked mamá if I could help Aleex.  She said that no one could help one who had made El Señor mad.  Mamá _me dice_, she tell me that El Americano _camina con los muertos_."

Hillary and Bryce were at a loss for words as the child wiped her eyes on her sleeve.  

"You are Aleex's amigos?"

"Yes.  I guess you can say that.  The lady we are with is a good friend, too.  She will be sad to hear that he is gone."

"But he is not gone, Señor Bryce.  He is very close.  Every day they hurt him and ask him things over and over.  Mamá says that I am too little to help him and he walks with the dead.  But you are his friends.  You can help him?"

More confused, Bryce could now feel his head beginning to throb.  "Hillary, can you help me out here?"

"Bryce, I think I'm beginning to understand her.  Sosa's one very bad man," Elena nodded at this.  "If Alex did something to make him mad, then the people here would think him as good as dead.  Does that sound right, sweetheart?"  Elena nodded.  

Bryce picked up the little girl and sat her in the chair he just vacated – going down on one knee before her.  

"This is important, Elena.  Can you tell me where they have Alex?"

"_Yo pienso_…I think… he is not well.  Today I watch them go in and out of the casa, but I do not hear him.  _Tengo miedo_…"  The little girl seemed frustrated as she tried to come up with the right English words.  "I have fear for Aleex."  Her tiny features then became quite fierce and determined as she seemed to make up her mind.  "Sí,  I can take you to the _casa_."  

In unison both men stated a very firm "No!"

"Can you describe it to me so that I can go see Alex?"

Elena did them one better.  Turning over one of the coloring pages she had just printed out, Bryce and Hillary were amazed at how accurate a map she drew of the village.  She indicated a path away from the village and heading in a vaguely northerly direction.  Then she drew another little boxlike representation and marked it with an 'X'.  Pointing to this at last, Elena stated, "You find Señor Aleex here."

Bryce gave the little girl a gentle kiss on the forehead.  "Elena, my sweet, when you grow up, none of us men will stand a chance."

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Bryce impatiently waited for Hillary to return from walking the little girl back to her mother.  What was only a few minutes seemed like forever, before the butler finally returned.

"Bryce are you sure that you want to do this?  We can wait for Lara."

Bryce gave Hillary a withering glance.  "You heard Elena.  It can't wait.  And if he can't be helped…well maybe it's better that Lara not be the one to find him first."  

Hillary ignored Bryce's testiness.  They both loved the girl and would do anything to spare her a moment's pain.  Hillary could not put his finger on the exact moment the three of them, so different, had become a family.  Recognizing the same protective instinct he finally replied, "Then what is keeping you?"

Bryce favored Hillary with a jaunty grin and headed for the window at the back of the hut where he clambered out.

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Nearing the hut, he could see that this one was in greater disrepair than those in the village.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with one glaring exception.  This one had a guard out front.  To the right of the doorframe, a man sat, his back to the wall and a rifle lying across his knees.  Bryce thanked his luck since it looked like the guard had decided to take a siesta.  Giving the front of the house a wide berth, he headed to the back of the little casa.  He hoped that the design of this one held true to all the others in the village and there was a window in the back.  Getting close, he decided it would be a good time to contact Lara. 

Pressing the earpiece and pad on his jaw just enough activate both, he whispered into the empty air.  "Lara, we may have a line on where Sosa has Alex.  If you can hear me, try to get somewhere where we can talk."

Within moments he was at the window.  Not yet hearing from Lara, he decided to check out the interior. The same type of woven window covering was used on this window as well.  Through the gaps, Bryce could make out a dim light.  Wary that there was someone in the hut that might see him, he lifted up a corner of the woven screening.  

The sight that greeted him made his blood boil.  

"Oh, Yank."  Bryce barely breathed out.  "What have those buggers done to you?"  In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten that Lara could hear everything that he said.  Just a minute later, her voice crackled in his ear.  Caught up in the moment, he was startled and turned to look behind him before he realized Lara was speaking over his earpiece.  

"Bryce did you find him?"  Unspoken in her question was whether Alex was alive.  

"I think it's him, Lara.  But his back is to me.  He hasn't moved."  Bryce didn't know how to continue, just that he had to.  "They have his hands tied to the ceiling beam…he's been beaten."  Then a thought struck Bryce.  "Lara, he must be alive.  They have a guard at the front of the house."  Almost to reassure himself, the next statement came out sounding more like a question.  "They wouldn't have a guard on a dead man.  Would they?"  

"Lara?"

There was no answer.  "I could go in there and see what I can do."

After another moments silence, Bryce put his hand on the sill, when Lara's voice stopped him.  "Do not go in there, Bryce.  It could be a trap.  I'll make my apologies and tell them I'm heading for bed.  I'll be with you shortly.  How do I get to you?"

TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~***TR***~***TR***~***TR

Bryce started when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Turning and seeing Lara's face, he let out a slow, shaky breath.  All the words that needed to be said had been said and there was only one thing that needed to be done.  Lara picked up one edge of the covering on the window and felt Bryce's hand on her shoulder.  As she took in the scene, Bryce felt the muscles under his hand go rigid.  

The room was dimly lit with the light of a single kerosene lamp that sat on a stool in a corner of the room.  Alex, and indeed it was Alex was there. Lara knew every plane and muscle of his back as only a lover could.  But now it was different.  Shirtless, dark strips, indistinct in the dim light crisscrossed his back.  His hands were tied with separate cords to eyebolts screwed into the rafter, spreading his arms up and away from his body.  Obviously unconscious, his head had rolled forward and rested against his left shoulder.  Held upright at his full height with his feet squarely on the ground, Lara could still tell that his legs were no long supporting him – his full weight rested on his tied wrists.  Dark streaks meandered down his arms from his wrists. 

"Lara, how do we get him out of there?"  Lara only then realized that she had a death grip on the windowsill.  

"I'll go in there and get Alex."  Looking at the height of the window, she doubted that even with Bryce's help she could get Alex's unconscious weight through the window.  "I think we're going to have to go through the front door.  Do you think that you could get the guards attention without getting shot when I ive you a signal?"  

"Moi?  I will deliver one first class distraction – sans getting shot."  Lara hooked an arm around Bryce's neck and pulled him to her until their foreheads were touching.  She looked into his eyes.

"Do not let anything happen to you.  I simply could not bear it."  She let him go and pulled herself up and though the window in one fluid motion.

"I love you too, Lara." He whispered long after she had disappeared into the hut.

TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~*** TR***~***TR***~***TR***~***TR

Five quick steps brought Lara directly in front of Alex.  She held her breath until she saw his chest rise and fall in rhythmic, if shallow breaths.  His lip was split and there were bruises on his cheek and jaw.  Angry red wounds that looked like burns dotted his chest and abdomen.  Always well-muscled but wiry, Alex's leather belt held his trousers low on his hips.  Lara doubted that he had eaten anything in days. She was loath to wake him up, knowing that unconsciousness was his only respite from the pain, but she would need his help.  She drew her knuckles gently along the unbruised side of his jaw.  

Quietly, she said only one word.  "Alex."

For a moment there seemed to be no response.  Then his head lifted a little and bleary, unfocused blue eyes fixed on her face.  

"Lara Croft."  He smiled almost dreamily and added as if talking only to himself.  "These hallucinations are getting better and better.  They even smell good."  His eyes drifted closed again.  

Changing her tone to be more insistent, she insisted, "Alex West, I need you to help me here.  I need you to stand up, so I can cut you down."

This time Alex's eyes opened with an alertness that had been lacking before.  "Lara, it's really you?"

Brushing a lock of blond hair from his eyes.  "Of course it's me, Alex.  Now concentrate.  I need you to get your legs under you so you don't fall when I cut these ropes.  I'm going to put an arm around your waist to help you.  Alex, I can't find a place to touch you that won't hurt.  I'm sorry."

She heard a hiss of breath as she tightened her grip to steady him as he locked his knees to support himself.  She felt him try to pull away to stand on his own.

"Silly sod, lean on me.  I can take some of your weight.  I won't break."  Holding him with one arm around his waist. Lara reached down with her free hand and grasped the hilt of her knife strapped to her calf.  Seeing how deep and caked with dried blood the ropes that cut into Alex's swollen wrists were, Lara decided that she would take care of them once they returned to the village.  Reaching up, she cut the rope just above his hand.  

Though he tried to stop it, Alex's arm fell like a dead weight over Lara.  Without the support of the rope he felt himself slide forward – only to be held in Lara's firm grip.    

Flipping the knife in her left hand into the air, Lara switched her grip on Alex's waist from her right to her left arm.  She deftly caught the knife behind his back with her right hand.  In a flash, the rope holding his left arm was cut.  His left arm fell over her other shoulder and he found himself breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

"You shouldn't have come, Lara."

"Right.  I'm supposed to completely ignore the silver-plated invitation you sent me by way of some lawyers from London?"

"Oh damn."

"Yes. Indeed.  Sosa put it about that you were dead – possibly to see what would shake loose.  He's going to be ever so sorry that he found me."

Alex suddenly felt dizzy as he realized the events that he had put into play.  Trying to pull back from Lara, he looked into her face.  The anger he thought would be there was not.  "Lara you need to leave here - now.  Leave me - now.  I'll only slow you down.  Forget about what I wrote – forget about going after the talisman.  Sosa is more than even you can handle." 

"Don't go all noble on me now, West.  I came here for you and I'm leaving here with you.  And in the meantime, you and I are going to find a way to muck up Sosa's plans most royally."  Lara paused for a moment.  "Alex, why are you soaking wet?"

"I had a shower today to get ready for your visit?"

More sternly this time, Lara quiried, "Alex?"

When no answer was forthcoming, Lara realized that they were both standing in a puddle of water.  She looked around confused and then she saw the answer to the angry red marks on Alex's chest and stomach.  Sitting in one corner was an ancient metal bucket and a car battery with jumper cables.

"Bastard."

"Hmmmm, I'd have to agree.  I think I made that very clear to him yesterday before he left.  Today some of his men just thought they'd have a little fun for themselves."

"Bastards."  Now that the surprise of her arrival had started to wear off, Alex's meager strength was beginning to fade.  Though the heat of the day had yet to fade, Alex was shivering.  "We need to leave here."  Alex saw her motion to someone at the window.  

"Who is that?"

"Bryce."  Lara moved to Alex's side and moved him over to the doorway.

"Are you kidding, he hates my guts."

"You do have a tendency to overwhelm most people's better judgment.  Anyway, it was Bryce that found you tonight."

"You're kidding?"

"You said that already."  Lara heard Bryce hail the guard. "The show's about to begin."  Lara maneuvered Alex to one side of the door, placing his back against the wall.  "Can you stand here for just a moment?"

Alex's legs buckled and he slid down to sit on the floor even as he said, "Sure."

"You are such a bad liar."

Outside they could hear Bryce do his best impression of an idiot tourist.

"Can you tell me where I can find a lavatory…. Uhhh bathroom…ahh yes, el baño.  ¿Donde esta el baño?"  Lara had cracked the door open just enough to see that the guard was standing just a couple feet in front of her.  He was laughing at Bryce and pointing with his gun into the nearest set of trees.  

"Oh, I see.  No central plumbing then.  This is all quite primitive, if you asked me."  Bryce turned and headed in the direction the guard had pointed.  

Before Bryce had taken to more than a few steps in that direction, Lara quietly opened the door and tapped the guard on the shoulder.  Startled, he turned around and Lara drew back her fist and send a pile driver of a blow into the unsuspecting man's chin that dropped him like a hundred and fifty kilo bag of potatoes.

To her left and somewhere around her knees she heard, "You know you telegraphed* that punch?"

"I've never telegraphed a punch in my life."

"There's always a first time."

"Stop being an ass, Alex."

"You pulled it back pretty far before you let that one loose."

Lara's resolve slipped a little, "Well I wanted to take him out with one punch."

"Telegraphed."

"Well it's not like we were fighting face to face."  Having barely conceded the point, she added, "And you're still a bad liar."

Bryce came running up to the pair and kicked the guard out of the way with remarkable satisfaction.  Reaching down he got a good look at Alex for the first time.  

"Gosh mate.  You've looked better."

Alex laughed which soon turned into a set of uncontrolled coughs.  When he got it under control, he reached a hand up to Bryce who helped haul the bigger man up onto unsteady feet.  Lara positioned herself on one side of Alex and Bryce took the other.  

"Lara says that I have you to thank for finding me."

"I just followed directions, Yank.  You really have to thank a little Peruvian beauty for tipping me off."

"Elena?  Is she Ok?"

"None other and Hillary made sure she made it home safely."

Lara interrupted, "Peruvian beauty, Alex?"

Feeling sorry for the American, Bryce clarified, "She six years old, Lara."

"Oh."

Expecting that Alex would not let this slide without teasing her, Lara was surprised when he stiffened, pulled his arms off of both of their shoulders and pushed them away - to stand unsteadily on his own.  Seeing the grimness of his face, Lara turned to follow his gaze only to see Julius Sosa standing just 20 feet in front of them.

"You disappoint me, Lara.  I'm surprised that you would settle on your payment so soon."  Sosa never even looked in West's direction, yet Lara stepped forward and directly in front of Bryce and Alex.  "Or choose something of such little value."

"We made a deal Sosa and I've made my choice."

"Yes.  That is all well and good, Lara, but know this.  If you fail or decide to take another prize…our deal is forfeit.  And so is your claim to his life.  He will not live long enough to comprehend the change in his ownership."

Sosa turned on his heel and left without a backward glance.  

Lara was staring a whole in Sosa's back when she heard the shout from Bryce.  Alex had finally lost his battle to remain standing and fell to his knees and then forward into the dirt before Bryce or Lara could get to him.

TBC… 

***Telegraphing** a punch is done when you pull back or wind up to throw a punch, therefore warning or 'telegraphing' your opponent when and where they are going to get hit.  Considered a very amateur fighting thing to do.  


	6. Darkness

**Faith –** Trent is a character from the game that the PTBs have seen fit to keep as an ongoing character.  And for a game character he is one fine bit of CGA.  He's very popular as a love interest in many very good fan fics.

**The Grynne – **I stumped ya?  Not for long I hope. Your comments have been inspiration for more than a few plot elements. 

**CS Angel –** CS stands for "Constant Supporter," right?  Thanks as always.  

**Tonibelle & Frederique** – Glad you've joined us!

**Godavari** – Ok, I promise to try not to kill him, but I can't vouch for Sosa EG.  I loved that line from the movie too.This story has some threads from the movie and the book that the movie is based on so you may see a few more quotes before I'm done.   If you haven't read the book, it does flesh out the story more (especially between Lara and Alex).  I'll annotate any quotes that I use from the book.  

Chapter 6 - Darkness 

The darkness outside was only kept at bay by the weak light that sifted out of the doorway and windows of the tiny hut behind them.  Bryce and Lara dropped to their knees next to Alex.  It did not take a lot of light to see that he was unconscious.  Lying on his side, Lara turned him onto his back.  Checking his neck for a pulse, she was rewarded with a steady thrumming under her light touch.  

Placing her hand on his chest reassured Lara that Alex was breathing. However it raised another immediate concern.  Alex was shivering.  Shirtless and injured - it was a toss up as to whether it was the ambient temperature of their mountain location or shock and exhaustion.  Either possibility was problematic for Alex's continued health.

Though summer, the temperatures in the high elevation of the Andes plummeted from the mid 70's to the low 40s.  Lara looked up at Bryce.  

"He could use a blanket.  And I think we could use the lamp."

"No worries, Lara.  Housekeeping will be back in a flash with all the necessities to make your stay in Gangsterland, Peru as memorable as possible."

Lara knelt down next to Alex. She decided to take advantage of his unconsciousness. Taking out one of her knives, Lara gently placed the tip under the rope that was bound around Alex's right wrist. She cut through the hemp with ease but instantly realized that she would need some solution to pull it off his wrist where it was virtually welded on with dried blood.  

Bryce returned quite satisfied with his haul. The lantern was almost completely filled with kerosene and though threadbare, the blanket would serve their needs adequately.  He was caught off guard when he saw Lara, a small flashlight in her mouth, illuminating the damage to West's wrists.  

"Damn, Lara.  These chaps don't fight with the Marquis of Queensbury rules, do they?"  He took the blanket and draped it carefully over the American where he lay on the ground.

Lara sighed, "I'm regretting more with every moment that I got you and Hillary involved in this."

Bryce started to pat down the various pockets in his cargo pants.  Pulling out a small flask, he handed it to Lara.  "Maybe you could try a little of this on those wrists.  It should help loosen the rope, and besides, its exceptional single malt 20-year-old taste, it probably would make one hell of an antiseptic."

Lara found herself smiling and opened the container to pour some of its contents onto both of Alex's wrists.  He groaned and even unconscious tried to pull his hands away.  Lara's smile was short-lived.

Seeing the smile melt from her face, Bryce looked inward, trying to find the right words to make a wrong situation seem, if not right, at least better.  Bryce took the flashlight from Lara and held it so she could see her progress in easing the rope away from Alex's raw wrists.  The whiskey seemed to loosen the rope and Lara unwound one wrist and started work on the other.

"You know, it's not for you to regret.  After all this time with you, we know what we're in for.  We could walk away any time we wanted to from the danger.  It's harder to walk away from the ones that you care about."  Bryce gestured to the American.  "You try it sometime and then if you can do it - maybe Hills and I will let you try to make us stay home next time."

Lara was almost done with removing the offending hemp when they were both interrupted.

Softly and deliberately biting out each word, Alex griped, "Do you two think 'ya could stop yammering so I can concentrate.  It's taking a whole lot to not holler like a virgin on prom night." Lara poured a bit more of the whiskey to clean out the wounds.

This time, Alex did not hold back.

"Ahhhhh!  Lara!  Keep that acid Bryce thinks is whiskey away from me… unless you're going to pour it down my throat."

"Always the elegant turn of the phrase, Alex."  Lara might have taken another gentle swipe at the smart aleck American, but she looked down at his wrists and bit her tongue.  The clear wetness of the whiskey was slowly being replaced by a dark and ominous color.  

"Mmmm," was Alex's only reply.  Though he had yet to open his eyes, the lines etched on his face and tightly compressed lips spoke silently to the fact that his jesting words were thinly veiled distractions.  

"Bryce, we need some bandages for his wrists."  Lara gestured at Bryce's shirt.

For the first time this night, Lara saw something that looked a lot like panic on her friend's face.  Bryce looked at Lara and started to point to Lara's skimpy tee.  Lara arched a brow.  Realizing the impracticality of asking Lara to cut up her tee, Bryce still couldn't let it go without a faint, if slightly whiny protest.  

"But Lara, this here shirt's a classic."

Emblazoned on the faded red fabric was: The Clash, New York Palladium, 9/21/79.  Alex finally opened his eyes to get a look at what Bryce was wearing.

"No way Bryce.  You had to be no more than seven or eight years old."

"Sooooo _way, Yank.  My mum spent all her money to get us to the States.  She smuggled me in."  Bryce looked smugly proud.  "She's a game old girl.  First concert I ever went to.  Set the tone for my entire anti-establishment, free hacking, game-loving philosophy of life."_

Alex's face lit up with a wry smile and just a touch of envy.  "Nah Lara.  Don't go messing with the man's lucky shirt."  Winking at Lara, he added,  "It's a guy thing." 

"Don't go all noble on me, Yank.  It was my mum's anyway.  Mine got a bit too smallish.  Had to give mine to the nephew or I'd be turning the wrong sort of heads."  Pulling out a pocketknife, Bryce carefully cut strips along the bottom of the t-shirt and handed them to Lara.  "Mum might even like the bare middle thing.  'Course, West you'll have to be the one to do the explaining to her about how this happened."

Lara was still shaking her head at the overgrown juveniles she had to deal with as she gently wrapped the fabric around Alex's wrists.  Splitting the end in two, she tied the makeshift bandage off.  Alex's arms were still too weak to push himself up into a sitting position so Lara tucked an arm behind his back and gave an assist.  He was still shivering and the skin that she touched was clammy.  Though none of his injuries seemed to be life threatening, her concern grew that he was going into shock.  Pulling the blanket off his lap, where it had fallen forward, Lara draped it over Alex's shoulders and tied two of the corners across his chest to hold it in place.  

Without thinking, Alex held a hand out to Bryce to help him up.  Bryce looked at the bandaged and unsteady arm.  

"Nah, mate, I'm starting to think you're a game one too, but let us do all the work tonight.  By tomorrow, you'll probably be the one dragging my arse around these god forsaken ruins."  Lara saw Bryce's intention as he reached down to hook the American under the arm and hoisted him up.  Lara matched him move for move.  Alex made no comment except for soft groan as both friends draped his arms over their shoulders and hauled him up to his feet.  

For a moment, neither Lara and Bryce could figure where to put their arm around Alex's back.  Their hesitation was not missed by Alex.

"Just do it you guys."

The pair complied.  Any distress they may have caused the American was only evident in the hiss of air that was breathed in through tightly clenched teeth.  The path had not seemed either long or particularly arduous to Bryce on the way up from the village.  But perspective changes when you start to monkey with the vectors.  The added weight and need for surefootedness added to their problems.  And West was getting heavier.  Little by little, Bryce felt the American's weight increase, as his feet seemed to drag more and more.  His head was bobbing and though he could not see West's face, Bryce knew that the man was just about done in.  The dim lights of the village were close. Maybe only a couple hundred yards.  Bryce doubted that West had even another fifty left in him.

Alex, evidently, had some sense of his limits too.  

"Lara.  I think you're going to have to leave me here.  Get a Jeep or something.  I'm having a bit of a problem keeping up with you."

Lara had already thought of this and had rejected it, though she knew that the option would have been easier on Alex.  Sosa may have allowed her Alex, but she firmly believed that he would not hesitate to seize the advantage again.  Leaving one, the other or both on their own seemed to give Sosa too much of an advantage.  And he had taken most of the advantages thus far.  Lara was going to make him fight for the rest.  All of this she boiled down to one simple statement.

"We're safer together than if we split up," she countered in a tone that brooked no further discussion.  

A moment later, Hillary's voice crackled over Bryce and Lara's earpieces, "I can bring a jeep up there and collect you in a matter of minutes, Lara."

Bryce and Lara both said an emphatic "No."

Lara reassured Hillary.  "We'll be there in fifteen minutes.  We left too many valuables in the hut, Hillary, that Sosa might want to get his hands on.  Alex is going to need some medical attention, so I was hoping you'd get your kit ready…"

"All right, Lara.  I'll be ready for you."

They made slow but steady progress when disaster struck in the form of a smallish stone in the path.  Bryce only looked up for one moment to gauge how close their hut was when he misstepped.  His foot slid and he wavered slightly to regain his balance.  It was the involuntary tightening of his arm to secure his burden that was Alex's undoing.  

Soundlessly, Alex's entire body stiffened like a drawn bow.  His head fell back and eyes met with Lara's for a brief second in mute apology before they rolled back and he lost consciousness.  Instantly Lara and Bryce grabbed his arms as they took his entire weight over their shoulders.  Bryce felt a telltale warm stickiness under his hand.  

Devastated to cause any more pain to Lara's friend who had been so badly mistreated, Bryce fumbled for words.

"Lara, I didn't mean…"

"Of course you didn't.  The bastards are responsible.  I doubt that Alex could have gone much farther anyway.  In a way this might be easier.  Hold him up as best you can."  

Before Bryce understood Lara's intention, she had settled a shoulder under the blond adventurer's stomach and hoisted him up in a classic fireman's carry.  Frozen in wide-eyed wonder at his employer's unceasing reserves of strength and resourcefulness, Bryce quickly ran after her to catch up.  Frustrated at the lack of assistance that he was able to offer, he ran ahead and grabbed the door.  

Though Alex was surely lighter than his typical 78 eight or so kilos*, Lara was straining as she reached the hut.  Hillary was poised just inside the door to relieve Lara of her burden. With Bryce's assistance, the pair deposited West on a cot that Lara motioned them to. 

"Lara. You don't have to give up your own bed.  Bryce and I can accommodate him in our room."  

Lara had to smile.  The only divider to their living spaces was a hastily strung up blanket.  "I appreciate your offer, but this cot is the nearest the fire and Alex will need the warmth.  Help me lay him on his stomach.  I want to treat the wounds on his back first."  Hillary walked over to the makeshift dining table adorned with Bryce's equipment, paperwork and now a black bag that resembled a doctor's case that was a throwback from another era.  Hillary brought the bag over to the cot.  Lara was already taking off the rest of Alex's clothes.  With him lying face down, that proved to be challenging.  Ever seeking to take the most direct route, Lara pulled a knife from the scabbard strapped to her chin.  With dispatch, she cut through his leather belt and then started on his pants.  Surprisingly, it was Bryce who offered a tentative objection.  

"Uh, Lara.  Hills and I can take care of that for you."

Lara looked at Bryce with surprise and a little amusement.  "You know that would be a spot on impression of my maiden aunt – if I had one.  Regardless, there isn't anything that that he has that I haven't seen."

"My mum used to say that to me.  Are all you women programmed at birth to say that kind of stuff?  Creeps me, just a bit."  Bryce's face returned to a more serious mien.  "You might spare a thought to how Alex may feel about you seeing him like this."

Lara cryptically added, "I've seen him worse.  And since Alex was the one to send out the invitation, he'll just have to deal with the consequences."

Hillary started to treat West's back as his other two bickered amicably.  After cleaning his back as gently as possible, the butler applied an antibiotic salve to each welt.  A couple looked questionable, but they should respond to treatment, he thought.  

While Hillary was busy with Alex's back, Lara had uncovered the source of his undoing.  Having heard that Alex had been caught by a collapse in the temple that he was investigating, she had a feeling that he might have been the intentional cause.  Given his concerns about Sosa getting the Talisman, Lara was fairly sure that Alex was at the bottom of the unexpected collapse.  Literally.  His right leg was badly bruised and a six-inch gash had been crudely stitched on Alex's thigh.   

How thoughtful of Sosa to make sure that Alex was in good condition so that he could get the satisfaction of securing his pound of flesh.  If Alex had not been trapped, Sosa would probably never have suspected that all was not as it appeared.  Though red, the wound and stitches looked intact.  Bryce appeared at Lara's elbow with a basin of warm water, soap and a towel.  Lara did what she could to make Alex more comfortable, cleaning the wounds as well as four days of sweat and blood.  Hillary followed behind her and applied first aid and bandages where needed.  

Lara thanked her father for bringing a young royal navy ensign who served as a medic into their home and family.  She'd been told that her father had saved the young man's life.  The friend who worked quietly and efficiently next to her from that very day to this seemed single-mindedly intent on paying that debt.  He would accept no argument or be convinced that the account had been paid off and closed so many years ago.  Maybe a bit selfishly, she was thankful his stubborn devotion had transferred so seamlessly from her father to herself.

Hillary leaned down to pick up Alex's discarded belt.  Having been cut from behind, the buckle was intact.  Lara turned to look at what Hillary was examining and the import struck her.  The buckle was two holes tighter than where the well-worn marks were located.  

"We need to get fluids in him, Lara.  And nourishment.  If we had access to a medical facility, it would be easy enough to get him on an IV.  We're going to have to wake him up.  I have some pain meds that should help.  We'll need to turn him over, so I can treat the burns on his chest and stomach.  They're more recent and may be even more painful.  We don't have many other options."

Hillary cut two large squares from the sheets and laid them on West's back.  With Lara's help, the pair turned him on his back.  Though Lara resumed working on West's legs to clean and treat them without any concern to the man's nudity, Hillary had other ideas as to propriety.  He couldn't help wishing that Lara would react as any properly reared British miss should.  But then again, she wouldn't be his Lara if she was just an average, run-of-the-mill British heiress.  Hillary draped a towel over the unconscious man's midsection.

Lara looked to her friend with a smile and an arched eyebrow.  

Sputtering ever so slightly, Hillary explained, "We should allow the man some modesty.  He might be alarmed if he woke up…"  Hillary could only wave a hand in the general direction of Mr. West's private parts.  In the face of Lara's expanding grin, Hillary's face colored.

"I have reason to believe that Mr. West has never been overly concerned about his modesty."

"Jeez, Lara."  Blue, slightly unfocused eyes opened to meet Lara's. "You never used to hit a guy when he was down…"  Tilting his head slightly to see where Lara knelt at the foot of the cot, Alex also got an eyeful of his current condition, "…and naked."

"Nearly naked.  You have Hillary's sense of decorum to thank for that."

Needing to feel a bit more in control of the situation, Alex attempted to prop himself up, only to find his wrists too painful to hold him up.  Hillary caught him and lowered him slowly back down to the cot."

"We'll have none of that Mr. West.  Your back needs a little rest.  Do you think that you could eat a little soup?"  Not waiting for a reply, Hillary turned and addressed Bryce.  "Ladle some of the soup that I have simmering into a bowl for Mr. West, here."

Alex was lying back on the bed trying to decide if soup even sounded appealing.  His stomach was rather indecisive on this point.  

"Here you go, old boy."

Reflexively, Alex reached up for the bowl.  It was obvious to all in the room from the blood staining the makeshift bandages and the slight trembling of his hands, that Alex would not be able to handle the bowl on his own.  Lara scooped the bowl up and switched places with Hillary, who had almost finished treating West's burns.  

Hillary turned his attention to the adventurer's wrists.  Bryce obliged by raising West enough to place one more pillow at his back.  Lara ladled some soup into a spoon.  Alex grimaced in annoyance, probably from the necessity of having to be spoon-fed.  Lara gave Alex a cloyingly sweet smile and he opened his mouth reluctantly.  Five spoonfuls of soup followed.  Each one took Alex a bit longer to swallow until he finally shook his head when Lara attempted to raise the next to his lips.  He laid back and closed his eyes, trying to master the unsettled feeling that seemed to center around his middle.  

Deciding to allow Alex some time to rest before having him try some tea.  Lara instead decided to engage him in a bit of explaining.  

"You seem to have inspired quite a bit of annoyance on Sosa's part.  How long have you been down here?"

"A week."

Lara whistled.  "One week?  That may be even a record for you.  Antagonizing people into strong feelings of dislike, that is."

"It didn't take a week."

Lara looked at Alex quizzically.

"It was kinda weird.  We'd talked for about a week.  Phone and email.  He seemed friendly enough.  He'd obviously done a background check on me.  So it didn't make sense…"

Alex's voice had tapered off into internal reflection, so Lara prompted.  "Alex, what didn't make sense?"

"Oh, yeah, well.  When I got off the plane, Sosa was there to pick me up.  I was walking down the ramp, and from what I could tell he looked to be as eager…happy.  Like a kid about to start a grand adventure."

Bryce turned from squinting at his computer, "Like a happy, _psychotic,_ _sociopathic_ kid.  I'm doing a background search of my own.  Looks like Interpol believes that he is at the bottom of over twenty unsolved murders in the America's and at least five in Europe.  Let me emphasize the word _involved_.  The ones that he's ordered seem to be to many to put a number to."  

During the interruption, Hillary was finishing up his exam.  Trying to palpitate as gently as possible the bruised areas on West's abdomen, Hillary was relieved that he did not feel the hardened resistance that might be a sign of internal bleeding.   Their only concerns seemed to be to keep his wounds clean, get as much fluids in him as he could handle and keep him warm.  

"Alex, it seems you have fallen into a very dangerous crowd.  Now take a sip of this tea and tell me what didn't make sense."

Alex was winding down in story and energy.  He took a sip of the tea and grimaced at the sweetness.  "What doesn't make sense is that the moment I stepped off of the ramp and Sosa walked up…Well. It's hard to describe…It was like he knew me - but I'd never laid eyes on the guy.  His face…I guess you could say hardened.  The hand he started to put out for me to shake…put it in his pocket and walked away."

"Are you saying that he took an instant dislike to you?"  Lara had a hard time keeping the amusement from her voice. 

Alex took a shaky breath and closed his eyes.  "Sure Lara.  Laugh it up.  If I've given anyone a reason to _dislike_ me it's you.  This is different.  I've never felt hate like this before.  It's like a wave that comes off him."

"Alex, you blew up his temple."

Alex opened his eyes but instead of looking at any of the three friends, he stared up at the ceiling.  His voice so soft, it almost sounded like he was talking to himself when he added. "For two days, they beat me.  I knew he was there, could feel it… but I never heard his voice.  Someone kept asking me over and over  - _What were you doing in the temple?  What did you do to cause the collapse?  Did you find anything? Take anything? Who was I working for?_  On the morning of the third day…. Sosa… he stood in front of me and said that he was going to see personally to my interrogation.  But instead of using the strap or his fists like the others, he brought a battery.  He said he wanted to look me in the eye."

Alex finally turned back and looked directly at Lara, "I don't know how long…but he never once looked away from my face.  And he never even asked…"

Alex's exhaustion and something more was reflected in his ragged breathing.  Sensing his increased distress she took his hand.  

"What didn't he ask you, Alex?"

"Nothing, Lara.  That's just it.  It was hours…forever.  And he _never_ asked me a damned thing…_never_ took his eyes off me…_never_ said a word."

Though Alex was the one that had started shivering again, it was Lara who felt a cold shaft of premonition stab through her.  Something had changed outside the shack where they held Alex.  Sosa had dropped his thin veil of flirtatious civility.  She did not think that it would return now that they had aligned themselves with Alex.  There was no truth in what he had said about Alex being her payment.  He did not look at Alex for a reason.  Sosa lied – without qualm or second thought.  He did not plan on the adventurer leaving Peru alive – maybe not any of them - once she had served his purpose.

Hillary touched West's forehead.  "He's running a fever Lara."

"I thought that none of his injuries were infected?"

"I'm not sure Lara, but I'd say that's still true."  Pausing for a moment, he then continued.  "West's starved, weak.   Maybe that's left him open to an opportunistic fever, virus, or bacterial infection."  

"Then what can we do?"

Hillary turned his attention back to the patient,  "Mr. West, have you ever had malaria?"   

There was no answer.  Lara added, "Alex?"

His attention wandering, Alex finally answered, "No. No malaria."

Hillary looked through his bag and pulled out a syringe and bottle of pills marked "quinine".

Filling the syringe from a bottle, he explained, "I'm going to give you an injection of an antibiotic.  Do you have any allergies?"

Alex's eyes had drifted shut again.  Louder and with more command, Hillary queried again, "Alex, this is important – Do you have any allergies to medicine?"

Alex shook his head in the negative.

Not sure that Alex could hear, he explained his actions as much for Lara and Bryce's sake as for his fevered patient.  "If it's a virus, there's not much that I can do.  I'm giving him an antibiotic so that we cover a possible bacterial infection.  And since malaria is always a possibility, I'm putting Alex and all of us on quinine tablets.  It will help protect us and if Mr. West has malaria, it will help combat the parasitic infection."

A soft voice from the cot pulled Lara's attention back to the blond.

"Lara.  Are we back in Siberia?  It's so…c…cold."

Hurts of the past forgotten for the moment, Lara gently swept a lock of blond hair back from Alex's already perspiration-damp forehead.  

"We're in Peru, Alex.  Quiet now.  You need to rest."  

"I'm being a good guy, aren't I, Lara.**   We're going to stop Powell, right?"

Lara looked alarmed at Hillary.  He seemed to be slipping so fast.  

As if reading Lara's thoughts, Hillary replied, "It could be malaria.  The fever can hit this fast once the incubation period is over.  It could be any number of things, Lara.  He's had a time of it.  It may going back to Siberia for him feels safer."

"Safer?" Lara asked grimly.  To Hilary and Bryce's shock she added, "Alex _died_ in Siberia."

TBC… 

* Approximately 170 lbs.

**Quote from the movie novelization that did not appear in the movie.

Another long chapter.  I hope these aren't too tedious.  The next chapter will deal with some unfinished business that Lara and Alex have from the movie.  Then I'm going to get into the history and mythology of the Talisman. 

I hope you like a little history with your fiction because events of the distant past are going to overshadow those of the future. Only Lara's intervention will right a wrong from the past that may have brought about the end to a great civilization.  (Cryptic, I know.  But I hope it helps you hang on with me for a while longer…)


	7. Time and Time Again

**Suetekh Seshat**- I thought I'd lost you girlfriend!  So I was happy to hear that you're keeping up with this story.  I'm so glad that you liked that moment with Bryce.  It's one of those things that you throw out there and hope that it floats instead of sinking like a lead balloon.  I don't think that the Brits call it SEALs like the US Navy.  So I put Hillary in the SAS.  Don't feel alone about the novel thing.  Though I have yet to read it 30 times…(You win!)  I downloaded the ebook to my Pocket PC, so I can check it for details (yeah, geek – I know.)  Now, I have seen the movies at least 30 times and even the director's commentary… therapy may be required.  

**CS Angel & Michi** – It is a action/romance (a little light on the action but I promise there's some coming soon!) so I think you will like this. 

**Godavari** – ouch, stop that!  Enough with the poking!  LOL.  OK I have yet to do the DVD extras.  But if I start then I might not find the time to write…

**Cato** – My sympathies go out to you and your computer.  As you'll see below we can have a pity party together.

**Author's note:**  I'm quite a bit more comfortable with action and suspense than I am with the quieter moments.  This was the toughest one yet.  And THEN, my computer went kaput and I lost the whole chapter.  THE WHOLE THING!  This is the rewrite.  Hopefully it is as good as my memory makes the one that was lost.  Maybe I should have called this story _The Cursed Talisman_.  So get ready for a bit of potential mushiness.  Hopefully just enough.  My greatest fear is that I keep Lara in character.  This little chapter is my way of speculating as to how Lara would have handled talking about what happened in Siberia with Alex… or not.

**Chapter 7 – Time And Time Again.**

Well past midnight, Lara finally shrugged into a T-shirt she'd modified into a nightshirt by cutting out the collar and widening the neckline.  Bryce and Hillary had finally gone to bed under protest.  It took a promise to wake them to sit up with Alex so that she could get some sleep as well.  Neither one had specified a time, so Lara felt that actually following through with her promise could be as fluid as well.  She dragged a chair to the side of the cot and propped her feet up on the end of the bed.  

Lara thought that she must have dozed off for a short while since she was taken off guard by a shout and the vibrations of the cot under her legs.  Alex was in obvious distress.  He was almost completely sitting with his arms reaching towards his legs pushing and pulling at some unseen obstacle.  

"Alex, lie back.  Everything is fine.  You need to rest."

Placing both hands on his shoulders, Lara was surprised to realize that even in his weakened condition, she could not pull Alex back.  Muscles taught as corded steel attested to fact that Alex was caught up in a nightmare that was quite real to him.  

Alex's entire body jerked again.  A ragged shout of pain and shock tore out of his throat and just as abruptly was cut off.  Once again, Alex struggled to sit up.  The effort was costing him dearly as his muscles began to shake with the effort to maintain the awkward position.  When he started pushing at the imaginary obstruction located somewhere above his legs, Lara suddenly had an inkling of the nightmare that Alex found himself caught up in.  It was one that she had lived through before as well.  

At the realization, she yelled, "Alex."  Scrambling behind him, she used her body to brace him, to relieve the effort he was making as he struggled to keep his head above the water that was half a world and over a year in their past.  

His eyes fixed on the empty space in front of him, Alex responded to another Lara.  

Pale, his face covered in a sheen of sweat, Alex favored an imaginary Lara with a crooked half smile.  

"I'm good."*

Suddenly Lara knew her part - knew that she had to play this out.  Reaching in front and pulling his head back on her shoulder, she smoothed a lock of hair from his dampened forehead.  

"You're good?"

"You lost the bet.  You said Earth and it was the Sun."  There was no smugness in Alex's tone,  only a simple statement.  

Softly, Lara admitted, "I was wrong."  _Maybe about so much._

Lara didn't have to be facing Alex to see the gentle smile of resignation.  His effort to make her accept all that had happened shining through eyes, Eyes that seemed to be trying to memorizing every plane and curve of her face.  

"You owe me fifty."  Said so softly and with an oddly yearning inflection, the words took on another meaning all together.  _I'll love you always.  _

Lara had only a moment to realize she couldn't bear to go through this again.  She'd avoided anything - even Alex ultimately - to put this behind her…to avoid the agonizing emptiness of loss even one more time in her life.  

Suddenly Alex's body violently jerked again, the massive gears of time past ground down once again, pulling Alex below water that only should have existed in Lara's recollection.  

Alex stiffened and then relaxed as he fell back against Lara.  

For the second time Lara called out his name.

She only had a moment to look up to see that Hillary and Bryce standing by frozen in shock at the scene before them.  She looked at them mutely, words failing to come that would offer any plausible explanation.  It was Bryce that snapped Lara's attention back to Alex.  

"He's not breathing, Lara."  Felling helpless, Bryce almost pleaded, "What can we do?"

Lara took only a moment to register the truth of Bryce's words before she leapt into action. She rested his head back on the bed and returned to kneel at the side of the bed.  Alex's eyes were half closed - just as she remembered them when she dove down to try and rescue him so long ago.  

"Alex.  Please listen to me.  You have to wake up.  You are in Peru.  Do you here me.  Peru!"

She leaned forward, her mouth covering his as she breathed for him - once and then once again.  Lara felt the gentle tug on her lungs as he pulled her breath into his body.  Alex's head lifted ever so slightly to follow her as she pulled back, turning the life-giving act into a genuine kiss.  With effort, he lifted his left hand up and waved her off.  A simple gesture that had allowed her so long ago to realize that she had to let go as well.  Seeing it again made her heart ache.  A gentle smile of farewell tugged at Alex's lips for a moment and then his head fell back on the pillow.  

With eyes closed, Alex's final breath left him in a single word that the presence of water had prevented Lara from hearing in that time before.

"Lara…"

"No, no…NO!  This did not happen."

This time when Lara breathed for Alex, the effort was all hers.  Another respiration followed and yet there was still no response.   

Lara was suddenly aware that Hillary knelt beside her.  His fingers were checking for a pulse on the adventurer's neck.  "He still has a pulse Lara.  It's weak but there."

"Alex West, you listen to me right now. You are sick, but you are not drowning.  This is not real.  You can't quit on me now…not after all this."

Lara breathed twice more for Alex.  Shocked at the heat that seared her lips, she tried again to break through this deadly alternate reality.  

But soon fear was replaced by anger.  "Damn it Alex.  I turned back time to keep this from happening once before.  I've lost so much.  Gave up so much.  My Father.  Fight, damn you. Fight!"

Color retreated from Alex's face, his stillness ominous.  Bryce's hand settled on Lara's, "It's over Lara.  You've got to let him go."

Lara shrugged off Bryce's hand.

Pleading, she continued.  "Alex.  You listen to me and listen well.  Stop being a silly sod.  I did not come halfway across the world to watch you die again."  Her entreaties had no effect, so she decided that her normally more direct approach might be more effective.  "You selfish bastard.  You brought us here and now you're going to make us clean up your mess?  Were you planning to abandon me to deal with Sosa all a long?"

She breathed for him twice more.

"Powell's long dead… and you're going to let him win now?  Breathe, Alex.  Damn, you, Breathe.  You think that giving me back one of the prayer wheels is enough?  You owe me four more! Do you hear me? Four more!  You die now and I'll never forgive you.  Never.  It's just like you to take the easy way out, Alex.  Fight.  Damn it.  Fight, Fight, FIGHT!"

Lara grabbed Alex by the shoulders and shook him. In her heart she was on the verge of giving up.  To hell with the talisman and Sosa and all the selfish SOBs in this world.  She wasn't even aware of the tears that fell from her eyes onto Alex's face and chest.   

Without warning Alex took a gasping breath that ended in a fit of coughing.  The three others in the room failed to realize that they had stopped breathing as well until the West drew another breath and then another.  Slowly his breathing started to regulate again.  

"Holy Shit!"  muttered Bryce with heartfelt wonder as he dragged his fingers through unruly hair.

"Quite," Hillary added fervently.

In all the years Lara had known Hillary, this was the closest he'd ever come to swearing in her presence.  Suddenly she felt a slightly hysterical bubble of laughter swell in her chest.  She sat down on the chair and put her head in her hands as she allowed herself a shaky laugh.  

Bryce was still shaking his head.  "You will explain what just happened… one of these days, right?"

"Mmm." She owed them that much, but she owed Alex even more.  Explanations would have to wait.  

"He's soaking wet Hillary.  Give me a hand to change the sheets and get him into dry bed clothes."

The cycle of chills and fever continued as Lara bathed Alex once again and put a pair of her butler's pajama bottoms on the younger man.  With expert efficiency, Hillary changed the sheets on the cot without the necessity of making the sick man get off the bed.  Once Lara was settled again next to the bed near Alex, Hillary and Bryce went back to theirs as well.  

Almost another hour passed unremarkably before she heard a softly spoken query.

"You called me a selfish bastard?"

"You weren't _listening_ to me."  Lara couldn't help adding a smile to her accusation.  

"Selfish bastard?"

Ignoring the teasing tone, she questioned him instead.  "How do you feel?"

"I've been better.  Feel kinda weird - dizzy - ya know?"

"That's the fever, Alex."  She reached over to Hillary's bag and pulled out the bottle of quinine.  She put two of the pills in his mouth and lifted his head just enough to let him take a sip of water to help him swallow.  "This should help with the fever."

Alex laid back as if this tiny effort was almost too much.  "I had a dream…it was so real this time."

"You've had this dream before?"

"Maybe. Not quite this vivid, but yeah, a time or two."

"After Siberia, when you were having trouble sleeping?"

Alex seemed to be embarrassed, "Yeah, Lara.  But it was so weird, so completely off the deep end.  There didn't seem to be a point to telling you about it."

"It happened."

Alex was in pain, feverish and more than a little confused.  He'd dreamed himself into the tragic, stiff upper lip hero - just the reason that he had never told Lara about the nightmare when they had been together.  She would have laughed herself out of bed.  "Sure, you had a ring side seat just now to my crazy dream.  Pardon me if I'd like to forget that."  He couldn't look her in the eye to see either her amusement or even worse, her pity.  

Gently, Lara's hand guided Alex's chin so that he was looking at her once again with fever-bright blue eyes.  

"You mistake my meaning Alex.  Powell threw his knife at you.  It was a mortal wound. You fell in the water and were trapped by the gears of one of the planets.  You were dragged under water. I tried to keep you alive, but you were bleeding to death.  So I left you."

"I don't understand.  You're saying all this really happened?"  Alex's brain felt like it was packed in cotton wool.  Once the impossibilities were peeled away, there was only one possibility remaining.  "Wait, are you trying to tell me that you used the Triangle?  Of course you did, I saw the knife coming at us, then suddenly it turned and struck Powell.  You did that… I never thought about what might have happened in the time between.  And you never talked about it…"

"I had no reason to believe that you would remember.  Now, it seems possible, with the eddies and fractures in time there caused you to exist in both realities. Your dreams might just be a sign of those latent memories."

Alex turned to her.  When his eyes met hers she saw that what she said hurt him.  "You had no reason to believe I'd remember - so that's it?  Basically you didn't want to admit that you saved my life.  Or was it that it meant so little to you that you couldn't be bothered to tell me _Hey Alex, I stopped time, saved your life and then I saved the world_."

Hurt turned to anger.  Taken up by the strong emotion, Alex disregarded the injuries to his arms and back and pushed himself up onto his elbows so as to be eye level with Lara.  "Or was it just simple regret and expediency.  Afraid that I'd follow you around like a love-starved puppy if I knew? It didn't take long for you to put up your walls once we got back."  

Lara's gaze never flinched from his.  Alex saw an equal part of sadness reflected back at him.  Then suddenly Alex thought he saw his answer in the anguish on her face.  He was so tired.  His arms shaking, Alex fell back and turned his face away from her.  

"I wasn't your first choice to bring back, was I?  You wanted to save your father - didn't you, honey?"  There was no anger in his voice, just exhaustion and despair.  "Knowing Powell, he probably taunted you with that.  But you couldn't bring your father back for some reason and I was the consolation prize."  Alex raised his arm and pulled his hand through his hair. A darkening stain started to ring the bandages on his wrist.  "You couldn't stay with me because you couldn't bear to look at me and remember what you had lost."  Alex laid his forearm across his eyes – not wanting to see the look on Lara's face confirm his suspicions.  He ached all over, but the pain of seeing her regret would come closer to breaking him than anything else he had experienced in the past week.  

"Are you finished?"

There was no answer forthcoming so Lara plowed on.  "I avoided telling you all this for far more selfish reasons.  The only reason that Powell targeted you was because I was holding back information so that I could use the triangle for myself - just as you guessed.  But in holding back with Powell, I as much as painted a bull's-eye on your chest, Alex.  You remember now - so you know how much my miscalculation cost.  I failed you and then I abandoned you to die alone. I didn't know how to start to tell you all of this – so I didn't."

Alex pulled his arm away from his eyes and looked at Lara.  Her face was totally composed and expressionless.  He couldn't say how he knew – but Alex was certain that the effort to remain so was very great on her part.  He started to deny what she was responsible for anything that happened to him, when she spoke over his protest.  

"And as for my father.  You were not my second choice, Alex – you were my only choice.  To go so far back in time to save my father might have changed the timeline – impacted thousands of lives - even made matters worse.  My father knew this, and except for the brief hesitation brought on by the love of a little girl for her father, I knew it as well."  Lara looked down at Alex and favored him with a ghost of a smile.  "You are damned infuriating at times, Alex West.  But if I was given the whole thing to do over - one hundred times over – I'd make then same choice again."

Alex knew he needed to correct Lara's opinion that she had somehow failed him.  But he was so tired.  The pain and fever, pushed out of his mind by his anger, came back with a vengeance in its absence.

It was easier to smooth things over with a touch of humor and let it go for now.  

"So, if I'm remembering this all correctly – I was the very model of the tragic hero, good guy?"

"You were about as courageous as any hero torn from the pages of a first class epic."   Lara couldn't allow Alex's level of smugness to last too long without deflating it just a little.  "Someone that didn't know you better might have thought it a bit out of character…"

"Ouch, Croft.  Now that hurts."

"Go to sleep, Alex."

"There's room for two here."

"I'm fine here for now."

"Your loss."

"You are incorrigible, Alex.  Go to sleep."

Alex could barely keep focused to talk any further so he thought maybe he could comply with her order.  His back was on fire and his wrists felt like raw nerve endings.  He had seen the blood on his wrist bandages and quickly hid them under the covers to prevent Lara from staying up longer to fuss over him.  Painfully he turned on his side away from her and tried to doze.  After almost an hour he finally was ready to give up trying to find a position that would give him some relief.  To make matters worse, the chills he had earlier came back, allowing him no rest.  Stiffly he tried to pull the blankets more tightly around himself.  Alex couldn't suppress the groan of pain that resulted from trying to use his abused wrists.  

Almost instantly, Lara was leaning over him.  "What's wrong Alex?"

"Would it damage my all-purpose, heroic, tough guy image if I asked if Hillary had something for pain in the wonderful black bag of his."

"Oh Alex, why didn't you say something sooner?"  Hillary had left a preloaded syringe just in case and instructed her in its use.  Pulling down the covers, Lara attempted to inject Alex's arm but he was shaking so fiercely at this point that she was afraid that she would hurt him.  She looked at his face and saw the effects of the fever starting to take hold again.  Hating to do it, she pulled him onto his back to steady him.

"Alex, I need for you to try to hold still for me for just a bit so that I can give you this injection."

"S'alright, Lara," was Alex's slurred reply.  His glazed eyes tried to focus on Lara.  He reached up to touch the well-worn nightshirt she wore.  

"Like your taste in…lingerie."  Lara saw Alex's wrists and swore under her breath.  She padded barefoot over to Hillary's kit and brought it over to the bed.  Even with the meds, she could tell that unwrapping Alex's wrists were causing him pain.  To distract him, she kept him talking.  

"Someone who said they attended the University of Chicago gave this to me once."

"Damn fine Archaeology… program there."  

Finishing with both wrists, she helped him turn back on his side and covered him with blankets.  

For twenty agonizing minutes she watched as he shivered and restlessly moved under the covers.  She's stoked the fire and put every spare blanket on him to no avail.  Finally she was left with no other option.  

Alex felt the blankets lift and had no idea what Lara intended until he felt a weight settle onto the cot next to him and draw the covers back over them again.

Not sure how close she could get next to him without causing pain, the decision was taken out of her hands as Alex drew nearer to her – attracted like a magnet to her body heat.  Lying on their sides in the narrow cot, they fit together like a pair of spoons.  Lara soothed his forehead with a gentle caress.  Her hand rested at the nape of his neck.  Her fingers found a bit of hair and gently wound it thorough her fingers.  Though the heat coming off of him was uncomfortable for her, Alex's tremors were beginning to slow.   

She almost thought that he was asleep when she heard his voice muffled somewhat by all the covers.

"What exactly do you mean by saying 'someone who _said_ they attended the University of Chicago'?"

Continuing to wind the stray lock through her fingers, she responded as if to a child, "Go to sleep, Alex."

"Mmm.  That feels good," Alex responded groggily. "You know I have a doctoral diploma in Archaeology."

"Whatever you say, Alex.  Shhh, go to sleep."

"I have a diploma and I have you in bed."  Alex did not try to prevent a bit of sleepy self-satisfaction from sneaking into his tone.

"Alex…" Lara's voice took on a bit of an edge.

"Yeah, yeah.  I know," Alex mumbled.  "Go to sleep."

Lara heard him sigh and felt his whole body relax and shift to rest against her own.  Within minutes, his breathing slowed.  

Finally, he fell into a deep healing sleep.

**_TBC…_**


	8. The Morning After

**cato**, **Logan's Lover**, **otoooo**, **Raphaella**, **Bryce-a-Rama**, **Faith** and **Suze** – Thanks so much for sticking with this story.  

**Suetekh Seshat** – Awww, I'll miss those in depth reviews.  By the By – I did not miss the review earlier about your movieverse stories.  How dare you disparage the stories that got me interested in trying this story our in the first place.  If I could only convince you to carry on?

**The Grynne** – Glad that I'm not the only one that has an aversion to the worn-out expletives.  Overusing one can certainly diminish the moment when a heartfelt "bugger" is really needed.  

And as to multi-character scenes – they are tough.  I couldn't help a little levity.  It is not in my nature to be too serious too long.  

Thanks yet again for the detail of your well thought out reviews.  

**Godavari** – Maybe I deserve a good poke or two for taking so long to update.  Glad you felt the mush-factor was under control.

**Guestyo** – Action.  Hmmm.  I'm trying to get to it but I have just a little more detail to fill in with the next chapter.  Then, let's see…  We're gonna have animated (and murderous) frozen Incan mummies, treacherous drug lords and the typical tomb traps.  

**Author's note:**  OK – do not read this chapter to learn Incan history, though so far, with the exception of the mention of the talisman most of it is accurate.  So are the names of the places and Inca rulers.  And the issue that scientists have been baffled about in regards to the location of the Incan empire.  Next chapter, we will be introducing you to the major historical figures that factor into legend of the talisman and then I'll start seriously taking liberties with history.  Oh yeah, and if TR1 left any doubt that Daniel Craig has… ahhhh, nice …arms, (my niece might read this some day) as I write in this chapter, I just saw **_Sylvia_** and everything else quite as nice as in TR1.  Though a way darker film based on the life…and death of Sylvia Plath – so be warned.

Chapter 8 – The Morning After 

Alex's first awareness of his surroundings was the almost imperceptible dip in the cot as Lara got out of bed.  His second was the loss of the warmth and gentle weight of her deliciously curved backside that had so snuggly fit against him.  Not ready to let on that he was awake as well, he watched Lara though slitted eyes.  As she stepped away from the bed, Lara stretched her arms over her head in an artlessly sensual move.  With morning light pouring through the window, the thin material of the t-shirt hid very little from Alex's eyes.  An ache that had little to do with the events of the last few days drew a soft groan from Alex.

"Awake, Alex?  …And feeling better?" Lara threw the query over her shoulder without actually turning to look at Alex.  

Busted, he thought.   "MmmHmmm." Did that sound noncommittal enough, he hoped?  He looked over to see that she was donning a pair of skin hugging cargo shorts.  He was sure that she was trying to give him heart failure when she pulled the ragged old tee over her head.  The sensuous curve of her back almost was enough to undermine his efforts to appear unfazed. Though he had made love to Lara, seeing her like this never failed to strike him breathless as it had the very first time.  She turned and approached him, her hand held out.  To his great disappointment, it went straight to his forehead for the very clinical purpose of checking his temperature.  

"I think you just might be feeling a bit better.  Your fever is down.  Hillary is working on some breakfast.  Do you feel up to it?"

Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Food didn't really appeal.  The smell of cooked eggs was particularly unsettling.  But the need to regain his strength as quickly as possible was paramount.  The others could not afford the distraction of having to drag him all over Peru.  

"Yeah, sure," was Alex's affirmative, if unenthusiastic, response.  The smells of a simple breakfast were confirmed by Bryce's bustling activity as he brought precariously balanced plates safely to the table.  Alex did his best to sit up and swing his legs onto the floor.  

Maybe sensing his need not to be coddled, Lara did not fuss at Alex to stay in the cot.  She simply offered him a firm grip and a steadying shoulder as he swayed a bit unsteadily to the table and dropped down into a chair.  Guessing wisely, Lara put a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries and cream in front of Alex.  God only knew where Hillary put his hands on fresh strawberries and cream.  Lara had come to appreciate that some miracles in the universe should not be questioned.

"You look quite a bit better Mr. West.  Would you like some juice?" Hillary queried. 

"Actually, I'd sell my soul for a cup of coffee."

Hillary pulled a mock scandalized face. "Your soul is safe, Mr. West.  I'm well aware of the American taste for scandalously over-priced coffee concoctions.  Hopefully this simple brew will suffice."  

Alex gratefully accepted the steaming black coffee, waving off the proffered cream and sugar.  Alex took a long drag from the cup and closed his eyes in worshipful appreciation.  "Aaah, Hillary.  This isn't just coffee, this is medicinal."

Lara pulled out a now familiar bottle and set it directly in front of Alex.  

"How can I pass up such a perfect opening."  She placed the bottle of quinine in front of Alex.  "Coffee may taste good but this bottle is your new best friend until we can get to proper medical facilities.  Considering how your fever responded to this," Lara waived at the container, "I think that there is a good chance you've contracted malaria."

West grimaced at the bitter tasting contents of the bottle.  "I prefer my quinine with gin.  You don't suppose a gin and tonic would have the same effect?"

Bryce was digging into a plate of eggs when he mumbled, "Remember hearing Katherine Hepburn saying once that Huston and Bogie did just that filming the African Queen.  I'm all for getting pickled if it will keep the little beasties at bay."

"You may find that lugging a couple of fifths of gin and the appropriate amount of tonic around the jungle might get tiresome."  Lara couldn't help but smile affectionately as the look on Bryce's face spoke to how willing he was to give it a try.  Alex gave her a crooked smile as he twisted off the cap and took two of the tablets.  He dropped the medicine bottle in the pajama's pocket and patted it to concede the point.   

"You need to take it easy as well, Mr. West," Hillary commented as he cleared some of the dishes from the table.  "I believe Malaria can be quite persistent, especially in the first few months after the parasitic infection has been contracted.  Anything that could compromise your immune system - stress or injury - might bring on a relapse of the fever."

"Hey Hillary, I'm wearing your pajamas.  Don't you think you can drop the formalities now and call me Alex."

"Certainly, Mr. West."

In just three words, Alex knew that he had just been told what Hillary **_could_** do - and exactly what he **_would_** do.  West doubted that he'd hear the butler refer to him in the familiar any time in the near future.  Mentally shrugging, Alex looked around the cabin that had once been his.  All of his things were gone.  Not that they amounted to much, but he sure was gonna miss his lucky Hawaiian shirt.  Alex barely had the thought that he'd need some clothes before he turned and noticed that Hillary had already laid out a shirt, pants and other sundries.  It was about time he got dressed and down to business, but he just needed one more cup of coffee before he took on the chore of getting dressed.  

Hillary was definitely taller and broader than the wiry American.  The added length on the sleeves of the pajamas helped conceal the stained bandages on West's wrists until he made a boarding house reach for the pot of coffee.  The wrist wounds that had reopened during the events of the previous evening had bled through. Lara spotted the now stiffly crusted blood and reached out with startlingly fast reflexes and grasped Alex's elbow.

"Exactly how long did you think that you could hide this?"

"Long enough to get dressed and take care of it myself?"

"You think that you could get these bandages off and redress this on your own?"

Alex looked down at his bandage swathed wrists.  He already knew from the occasionally painful tug on each wrist as he had eaten that the blood had adhered the bandage to the wound.  Not going to be pleasant to pull off, he thought.  He'd been a liability so far.  As much as he did fondly recall some of Lara's gentle ministrations last night, contrarily, he was determined not to have her fuss over him now.  

Lacking an honest answer, he simply set his chin at a stubborn angle and attempted to pull his arm back.  Overestimating his strength and underestimating Lara's stubborn resolve, Alex was surprised by the firm grip that held his arm to the table.  With a curt nod to Hillary, Lara flipped her knife out of its scabbard and went to work gently peeling each layer of bandage until she reached one that seemed to be cemented to the wound.  

Already banging away at his computer, Bryce offered his sympathies to West without even looking up from the keyboard. 

"I've never beat her at arm wrestling, West.  At least you have the excuse of being under the weather."

Bryce didn't look up to catch the glare Alex threw in his direction before he quickly looked back at Lara expecting to see a smug look.  Instead her head was down and her teeth were worrying her lip as she dipped a cloth into the bowl of warm water that Hillary placed beside her.  

She looked up at Alex, her brown eyes clouded with regret.  "Even if I soak these bandages, this will still be... unpleasant.  You should have told me last night."

"S'alright Lara.  You were almost as wiped out as I was last night."   

Lara looked up with thinly veiled amusement.

"Okay, Okay.  I'd been enough trouble for you.  Forgive me if I didn't want to bug you again.  Is that an acceptable reason?"

"Likely, Alex…though hardly _acceptable_."  Alex's only response to the gentle chastising was a sour look, but she accepted that his motives were for her benefit.  Alex was the benefactor in turn of a genuinely sweet and gentle smile that stopped his heart for a moment. Damn, that girl's smile is anesthetic enough for me, thought West.     

Lara rang water from the towel onto the bandage and let it soak in for a moment.  Soon she started to gently tug at the softening material.  Alex sat as still as a stone statue.  Closing his eyes he breathed slowly to control the pain.  The only telltale sign of his discomfort was the occasional tremor in his hand as he held it out for Lara.  

The wrist had an angry groove that blended into dark bruises that ringed his wrists.  Wet once more, the injury weeped blood that Lara gently bathed from his palm.  Her touch, soft as a swallow's feather sent an electric shock of desire that caused Alex to close his hand and pull away for an instant before surrendering it back into Lara's care once more.  From the look on her face, Alex was sure that Lara thought that she had hurt him.  Cowardly though it was, Alex couldn't bring himself to correct her mistaken assumption.  His heart was too raw and vulnerable where Lara was concerned to wear it on his sleeve.  She smoothed a cool ointment around his wrist and wrapped the wound once more.  

It was slow torture for Alex, but as Lara dealt with his other wrist, he gave in to the temptation to watch her unobserved.  With her concentration focused, Alex knew he minimized the risk of being caught staring and ending up on the receiving end of a painful barb.

Alex managed to stand up on his own, careful to minimize the use of his hands.  Gathering the clothes from the bed, he walked over to a corner that was shielded by the blanket Hillary had strung to shield Lara's sleeping space.  

Lara was mildly surprised at Alex moving behind the makeshift screen to get dressed.  He'd never seemed overly modest around her.  And he certainly had nothing to be ashamed of.  His smooth, well-defined muscles could have inspired a legion of Greek sculptors.  And those arms…

She was a strong woman, but in the few times she allowed herself to be wrapped within circle of those arms, she'd felt safe.  If only she could trust him and trust her feelings for him.  He was charmingly smooth to most of the world, but the times that she could least resist him were when the slick brash American façade came down.  When Alex was insecure or unsure, when he let down his guard with her, ironically that was when she found him most irresistible.  

A muffled crash of a small object falling to the ground and a quietly muttered curse alerted Lara that Alex was having some difficulties.  Hillary was already moving to the room divider when she caught his eye and with a smile threw the ointment, which he caught neatly.  A few minutes  later, Alex came out dressed in an immaculately ironed pair of khakis, tank tee and chambray short-sleeved cotton shirt.  The pants were held up by a tightly cinched belt with the cuffs rolled up.  Though he'd only been out of bed for little over an hour, weary blue eyes peered back at her.  

"We need to talk about all this, Lara."  Alex pulled a chair away from the table and sat down once again.  Rubbing his eyes, he ran his fingers through his unruly gold hair that seemed to spike out at odd angles.  

Lara was not sure how long Alex could even stay vertical.  "You need to rest Alex.  I've read the notes you sent me.  They're more than enough to deal with Sosa.  I plan to take a turn about and check the caves that we can currently access."   Lara's eyes twinkled with mischief.  "If your determined to get to this talisman, we can only hope that you were not too efficient in your attack on the caves.  We can get together tonight and compare notes after your rested."

It was Alex's turn to go on the offensive.  He reached out to stop Lara as she started out of her seat.  It was not the strength of his grasp, but the determination in the crystal blue eyes that held her to her place.  

"There's more here than meets the eye, Lara.  You need to know the information that I couldn't risk putting in the notes before you make any plans."

"If you're stubborn enough to stay up and fill us in, than I'm willing to listen."

"Well…you know your basic Peruvian history.  For all that we know of the Inca, most lay people are amazed to find that Empire only lasted about one hundred years.  Legend has it that Manco Capac, legendary founder of the Inca migrated from the Lake Titicaca area.  As with many civilizations of the ancient past, they believed that their ancestors were the first born of the land.  When they came upon the ruins of Tiwanaku in the Titicaca Basin in Bolivia, the conquering Inca realized that an even greater civilization had disappeared into the mists of history.  As with so many civilizations before them, the Inca created a mythos that explained the existence of the older Tiwanaku empire.  They made the Tiwanaku history their own by saying the great founder if the Inca, Manco Capac, came from Tiwanaku and moved the capital to Cuzco, Peru."  

Alex was animated; inspired by a topic that fascinated him.  And he was weaving the spell around the group before him.  His eyes sparkled and for the first time since Lara had first met Alex, she met the archaeologist Alex West and not the mercenary façade he shared with the rest of the world.  

"Think about it.  A great imperial civilization in a city located in a mountainous region.  Cuzco is 10657 feet above sea level.  Name another great city that was the origin of an imperial civilization found at a similar elevation.  Baghdad, Beijing, Rome, Cairo, London – all located in areas lower than 200 feet above sea level.  Why?  Because agrarian prosperity, transportation of goods and military might require access to water, great settlements often started in river valleys and coastal regions – whether you are looking at ancient maps or our modern ones.  Look at where the major capitals of the world are located.  Even better, the greatest cities combine both - located in a river valley **_on_** a sea coast."

"So what made Cuzco at over a 10,000 foot elevation attractive to the Inca?  The answer might come from what made the region where they originated attractive.  The Titicaca basin is over 13,000 feet above sea level."  Alex's voice grew softer as paradoxically the story became more compelling.  Lara and her friends could not help but be caught up in the spell. "Legend has it that Manco Capac brought a great artifact with him to Peru.  A talisman that represented the power of the lost people of Tiwanaku.  Modern scholars have always been baffled by how a major empire could flourish in a mountainous region.  Incan mythology would have us believe that the emperors of the Inca were able to manipulate their followers to an unprecedented degree.  Charm them into establishing a capital city that defied conventional logic.  Mass mind control.  At least that's what Sosa believes… and why he wants the talisman for himself."

Alex's enthusiasm for his subject did not blind him to the necessities of survival in modern day Peru.  He looked around at his audience and tapped his ear and gesturing around the room.  Bryce grinned from ear to ear.  

"Took care of that little detail yesterday, West."  Grinning broadly Bryce reached behind himself to a crude shelf on the wall and took down a glass filled with water - water and four very small, very expensive and very non-H2O compatible listening devices.  "You Yanks aren't the only ones known for their resourcefulness."

Alex tipped his glass to Bryce in silent salute and took a mouthful of the coffee before he continued on with the rest of the story.  

**_TBC…_**

**_I love reading the Lara/Alex stories as well - so come on you all.  Write, Write, Write!!!_**


	9. A Twist In The Tale

**Special thanks** as always go to all the wonderful reviewers in this universe including **Shauniwritesit**, **the Grynne** (who sounds like a History channel junkie too), **cato**, **godavari**, **Tonibelle**, **Miss Random** (aka Bryce-a-rama), **otoooo** and **guestyo** (who I promise now the action will begin now that the background has been completed.)

But maybe I am being unfair.  This chapter does have love, betrayal, greed, human sacrifice, suicide, treasure and murder most foul (regicide and fratricide no less).  Hopefully that will keep everyone's interest.  ****

**Chapter 9  - A Twist in the Tale**

Lara leaned over the table. Alex was finally getting to the meat and potatoes of the story.   Her dark eyes focus was totally on him.  Relishing her attention, Alex's voice dropped lower for dramatic effect. 

''So now things start to heat up with the Inca empire. Six generations pass, each building on the their predecessor's accomplishments. The Incan Empire saw its greatest expansion during the reigns of Topa Inca and his son, Huayna Capac. The father was particularly forward thinking. Using the Talisman had allowed the empire to expand with phenomenal speed. Just think, an empire united by _one language_ that covered an area now held by five countries.  Even the Romans could not get the peoples they conquered to speak in a common tongue."  

Lara gave Alex a look of mild exasperation. She knew all the salient facts about the Inca and many other empires whose treasures made up her life's work. To her increased annoyance, Alex nodded over to Hillary and Bryce who seemed to be hanging in his every word. Bryce had even pushed back from his computer. When Alex caught her eye again, he winked at her, and carried right on where he left off.  

"Anyway… by the sixth generation, the negative impact of the talisman's use was becoming apparent to Topa Inca and his son Huayna Capac.  The device imposed the owner's will on anyone in a very far-flung region. The sacrifice seemed to have the unfortunate side effect of bringing about a slow but measurably increasing decline in the creativity of the people they governed.  Vigorous artistic and scientific activity is a hallmark of a thriving society. Topa Inca saw this and decided that in order to resist the temptation to use the device they needed to put it in a secure place that only the royal family would have access to. Legend has it that the talisman was returned to its place of origin in Bolivia at Lake Titicaca." 

Bryce stood up to stretch his legs and look out the small window. ''It would serve Sosa right that he's looking in the wrong place."  Crossing his arms, Bryce turned back to the room with a Cheshire cat grin. Lara simply sat back a bit in her chair. 

"I imagine we are in the right place to find something, Alex.  And that would be…"

Like a laser straight to the point was his Lara, Alex mused.  "We're after one of the two halves of the key."  

Bryce smacked his forehead.  "Key?  First we have to find a key?  Where have I heard that before?  Oh yeah and two pieces?  Been there, done that.  Don't any of these ancient people that are rotten with devices to destroy the world ever just bury something and draw a map?  Why does there have to be a bloody key?  And I suppose the other piece is somewhere half way across the world and we have to retrieve it before the sun sets on the Summer Equinox?"

"Solstice," corrected Lara.

"Solstice?"

Alex decided to let Bryce off the hook.  "Summer and Winter Solstice.  Fall and Spring Equinox.  I don't imagine there are that many compu-druids."  

Bryce favored Alex with a wickedly knowing smile.  "Actually, there was this absolutely stunning red head from MIT that could really do magic with her…"

"Can you two hormonal juveniles get back to the subject at hand?"  

Alex's broad smile went straight to his eyes as they sparkled.  Laugh lines around his eyes added rather than detracted from his looks.  Lara was not sure if he was amused at her comment or that he had simply gotten a rise out of her with minimal effort.  Lara stamped down the urge to respond to his damnedably innate charm she'd been all too susceptible to all ready.  Her life was complicated enough.  She did not need a six-foot, blue-eyed speed bump to slow her down or worse… knock her off course.  Alex did it once – broke her heart and played her for a fool - personally and professionally, in one deft move.  

Alex's smile melted like an ice cube on a hot griddle.  He sensed the change in Lara's mood almost immediately.  It had the effect of a bucket of ice water being poured over his head.  She sat back farther in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her.  Gone was the achingly sweet girl that had soothed him to sleep last night.  Sitting before him now was Lara Croft, Tombraider - his head-to-head competition that had frustrated and confounded him for years.  

Suddenly the magic and energy of the morning and his story fled him.  Alex leaned back in the chair and ran a weary hand through his unruly hair.  

Bryce didn't sense the change in mood until Hillary shot him a disapproving glare.  _What did I say now_, he thought.  Then he took a good look at his companions and sensed the chill that had descended on the room.  Lara looked cool and remote.  Alex, well, he just seemed to cave in, tired and confused.  Deciding that getting Alex back on track with his story might somehow help, he asked, "So what happened next?"

Alex had lost the animation he earlier showed telling he story.  As if by rote, he continued.

"Huayna Capac had two sons, Huascar, the elder, and Atahualpa.  As with many royal families the world over, Huascar was groomed to be ruler and Atahaulpa was raised to be a soldier.  Legend has it that even at an early age the nature of each of the boys was apparent.  Huascar seemed to absorb all of the worst lessons of power and understand none of the sacred responsibilities.  Atahualpa, on the other hand, expected no special treatment and earned the respect of the soldiers that he would one day command.  Their grandfather saw these things and was concerned to put the power of the Talisman into the sole hands of his elder grandson.  On his deathbed, he gifted each of the boys with an amulet that he told them would unlock a powerful tool that should only be used in time of greatest need.  Huascar's amulet sported a feathered serpent in profile with a ruby eye.  Atahualpa's was of a rampant jaguar with an emerald eye of remarkable clarity.  Only when the two amulets were combined would they unlock the hiding place and power of the Talisman." 

"Huayna Capac ruled for many years and expanded the Inca realm.  Huascar spent most of his time scheming to consolidate his power within the court and among the Incan nobility while his brother earned great respect for his generalship of his father's armies in Ecuador."

"Huascar had little affection for his younger brother, but according to the legend, the same could not be said for his brother's betrothed, a celebrated beauty named Ampata.  She was one of the _Virgin's of the Sun_ called the Aclla.  Only the most beautiful children were chosen.  There fate was to either become chaste priestesses of the sun god or with the permission of the emperor, they would be given away as mistresses or wives in payment of some service.  Huascar, it seemed had already had many wives when his father gifted Ampata to his younger brother for his services in expanding the empire.  Some legends say that Atahualpa's skills as a soldier were enhanced by his desire to earn Ampata as his bride, since the two had been in love for some time.  To take her without the emperor's permission would have doomed both lovers to certain and horrific deaths.  The young woman would have been burned alive and her lover hung upside down until dead."  

"So becoming a victorious soldier seemed the easier way to go," Bryce chimed in.  "Let me guess, Huascar was beside himself when he checked out his brother's _reward_?"

"It's likely that somehow Atahualpa kept hidden his love for Ampata to protect her from Huascar's attentions until he could secure her release from service to the sun god's temple.  The two even provided the old Emperor with a grandchild before his death.  In one Inca codex, I read that Huayna Capac told his younger son on his death bed that only when two became, one could the greatest treasure be found.  I always wondered if the old Emperor was talking about his sons unlocking the power of the talisman or that the birth of a child was treasure indeed."

The wistfulness of Alex's last statement broke through some of Lara's resolve and for the first time since Alex started his story, she really looked at him.  The spark that had driven him though the first part of the story was gone.  Alex seemed to look gray under his tan.  Though he did not look fevered, Alex gave every sign of being ready to drop in his tracks.  Hillary and Bryce seemed to be hanging on his every word.  For some illogical reason she was annoyed with them for not noticing how exhausted Alex looked and forcing her to bring it to their attention.  

"Alex, you look like Death.  You can finish the story later."

For his part, Alex heard only the censure in her tone and none of the concern.  

"Gee, Lara.  I'm flattered by your concern.  I'm fine."  Turning away from Lara's annoyed contemplation, he continued with his story.

"Soooo, anyway…  The specifics of how Huascar lost power are elusive.  Most likely his court machinations made him as many enemies as friends and probably those friends were of the fair weather variety.  With the Spaniards making incursions into Incan territory it is likely that there was a groundswell for a strong soldier to rule the Inca.  A bloodless coup ensued and for some reason Atahualpa allowed Huascar to hang around." 

"Huascar talked Atahualpa into believing that the only way the Spaniards could be defeated would be with the help of the Talisman.  They would take a small band and head for Titicaca and retrieve the Treasure and use it against the Spanish.  Ampata feared deception from her brother-in-law and must have talked her husband into allowing her to go with them.  Huascar indeed betrayed his brother by tipping off the Spaniards of their route.  It's said that Huascar drew first blood, stabbing his brother in the back.  Atahaulpa, seeing his fate already written, sent Ampata back and himself guarded her retreat, giving his life to save her so that she could return to Cuzco to protect their son."

"So the Spaniard's got Atahualpa's jaguar amulet?"  Hillary queried.  The suspense had all of them on edge, including Lara.  

"No.  Atahaulpa had made a gamble to go to Titicaca with Huascar, but in the end, never really trusted his brother.  In saving his wife, he also saved the amulet.  He had given it to Ampata before they left Cuzco.  If Huascar did away with him, she could save their son's birthright.  Huascar would never expect the emperor to give the amulet to someone else."

Bryce whistled in wonder.  "Huascar must have been pissed when he checked his brother's body and didn't find the amulet."

Lara was now as entranced with the others. "Because someone as greedy as Huascar could never imagine making a similar sacrifice.  Brilliant."

"Ampata took her son to her temple and entrusted the boy to the priests and priestesses.  Upon returning to Cuzco, Huascar had to have figured out the deception and sent word commanding that she meet with him."

"Seeking sanctuary at the temple was a smart move.  Supposedly, she acquiesced to Huascar's demand with only one request – that she could mourn her departed husband for three days."

Bryce piped up, "Brilliant indeed, she bought herself three days to escape."

Alex shook his head.  "No, she made a sacrifice as great as her Atahualpa's.  The emperor was a god and as such must be buried in all ceremony.  Ampata's attendance would be required, her absence suspect."

Lara couldn't help herself.  "She bought three days for her son's escape?"

Alex simply nodded.  "It's likely that Ampata entrusted the priests to take the boy North to keep him out of the hands of Pizarro and the Spaniards.  Huascar must have never guessed.  I'd bet that Ampata might even have worn the amulet prominently thoughout the funeral cerimonies, confirming for him that he would have her and all that he desired if he was just patient.  On the third night, Ampata simply disappeared.  Huascar looked for Ampata, the amulet and Atahualpa's son, but could find no trace."

"Justice was served eventually.  Within weeks of his brother's death, Huascar was assassinated by one of his brother's loyal generals."

"But what became of the boy, Ampata and the amulet?" Hillary's question begged a happy ending.  Alex was not certain that he would be satisfied.  

"The boy, whose name seems to be lost to history, disappeared with the priests.  They must have protected him as the god they would have believed he was as the new emperor.  Legend has it that they must have traveled far north, even beyond Mexico, to fulfill the promise to his mother to keep him out of the hands of the Spaniards.  The features and traditions of some Native American tribes like the Navaho echo some of those of the Pre-Columbian peoples.  Who's to say that the boy and priests did not settle with them?"

Alex took a ragged breath, "Hell, my great grandmother was Navaho.  That's the whole reason that I got into archaeology in the first place.  Maybe it inspired my interest in the Inca too."

"And ultimately got you into all this trouble?"

Alex ignored Lara's sarcastic comment and continued.  "Ampata and the amulet never left the grounds of the temple."

"What?"

"How?"

Only Lara exclaimed, "Of course."

Alex tipped a weary head in salute to Lara whom he was sure understood Ampata's secret.

"Ampata kept her promise to guard the amulet and their son in the only way that was left open to her.  She threw herself into the temple's sacrificial pit and the priests of the temple replaced the capstone, hiding her body and the amulet for over 500 years."

"Aww, hell," mumurred Bryce.  "They buried her alive?"

Alex seemed deflated by the final telling of the story.  He pushed himself back from the table and wearily went back to the cot.  

Before she realized herself, Lara moved in behind Alex to make sure that he didn't fall victim to a dizzy spell that his weaving threatened.  He turned and dropped down onto the cot, spotting his self-appointed watchdog just behind him.  

Expecting a smug smile, Lara was surprised when he ignored her close proximity and answered Bryce's question.  

"Her gods were merciful.  The drop was almost forty feet.  She broke her neck and died instantly."

"How would you know?" Lara challenged, barely louder than a whisper.  Alex's eyes were already closed.  His breathing slowing into the first stages of sleep.

"Because… I found her grave… on a dig… ten years ago."  Without opening his eyes, Alex's hand searched the thatch wall next to his cot. "…and she gave me this."

Alex's hand fell back to the bed.  A bright green eye winked at Lara from between the covers next to Alex.  They had only to find Huascar's amulet here before leaving for Bolivia.  

Atahualpa's golden jaguar amulet rested before her in Alex's unconscious hand.  

TBC… 

**Author's note:**  Ok, here is where I started taking some serious liberties with history as well as part with it a bit – read more about the Inca to see where I started fibbing, in some ways the truth is much better than the fiction.  Atahualpa's brother did indeed plot with the Spaniards against his brother.  The Spanish did kill Atahualpa and one of his general's did kill Huascar in retaliation for his betrayal.  But I've mucked around with the timeline of the events for the benefit of my story.  His wife is completely a work of my own imagination (he had wives!) as well as his son.  

Does anyone see the pattern yet?  

You can hit the "Author Alert" button if you want to get an email to tell you when I update.  Sorry it's taking so long between updates, but work has been making me crazy.  


	10. Trouble Brewing

Hey gang!  I have the outline for the next chapter almost done so expect some tomb raiding soon.  

**Chapter 10 – Trouble Brewing**

Lara was not sure if she was more furious with Alex or herself for thinking - or was it hoping - that he had changed.  She clutched the medallion and jabbed it fiercely back into the hiding place that had protected it from Sosa thus far.  Alex was ten times a fool.  If it was found in their possession now, it could be the death of them all.

The jaguar medallion was all the evidence that Lara needed to be convinced that Alex was the same mercenary treasure hunter he'd always been.  He had wanted to recover the Talisman for himself all along and his greed tripped him up and landed them all in this mess.  Lara stalked out of the cabin without a word, leaving a confused Bryce and Hillary in her wake.  She was loath to explain to them how she'd been taken for a fool yet again - they'd figure it out on their own soon enough, she mused grimly.  

So help me God, she swore silently to herself.  If anything happened to her two friends, she would kill Alex with her bare hands.  Her fingers flexed unconsciously at the thought of wrapping them around the scoundrel's neck.  

Before Lara knew it, the determined energy of her stride carried her to the edge of the activity centered on clearing the results of Alex's sabotage.  A brush-covered hill, too symmetrical to be a natural formation, hid the entrance to tomb that Alex and Sosa were convinced led to Huascar's final resting place.  Several dozen men were toiling to move the obstruction to the tomb entrance.  Rocks were carried out by hand and dumped into waiting wooden carts that carried them a short distance to a refuse pile.  Looking at the amount of debris already cleared, Lara suspected that they were no more than a day or two a way from breaching the tomb's entrance.  Something was gnawing at her, but she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong with this picture.  

Alex wanted the Talisman…

The second medallion was likely located in the tomb…

Alex blew up the entrance to the tomb… 

Alex is bright enough to know his little foray into sabotage would not delay Sosa for long…

Alex was buying time… 

Of course.

Alex had located a 'back' entrance to the tomb.  

"That bastard," she whispered under her breath.  For a moment her cool, unflappable exterior caved a bit, as one hand dashed at eyes that burned with sadness and shame at being duped once again.  

"Two can play at this game, Alex West," Lara swore fervently to herself.  She'd use him to get the Talisman and leave him with nothing but the view of ever diminishing form as she made off with his treasure.  She'd like nothing better than to rip his heart out as well, but since he seemed to have none, it would be a futile gesture.  

"Yes, how did that English poet of yours put it?  Mr. West does seem to be a man if infinite jest."

Recovering from almost being taken unawares, Lara endeavored to turn and face Sosa with an unfazed expression.  

"Yes, Alex is quite a joker," Lara remarked dryly.  It was difficult for Lara to prevent some of her annoyance from adding a bit of a bite to her words.  

Sosa's predatory smile left little doubt as to whether she had hidden all of her annoyance and it seemed to please him immensely.  "So you have come to see how close we are to entering the tomb, Ms. Croft?"

"It looks like your team has made quite a bit of progress."

"The peasants in this area are uneducated, but given the right motivation, they are quite industrious."

Lara had no doubt as to the creativity of Sosa's type of _motivation_.  The smile she bestowed on Julius Sosa did not reach her eyes.  "No doubt."

Sosa seemed to ignore Lara's dry reply and continued.  "We are only a day and half from breaching the entrance - two at the most."  Sosa's smile this time seemed mildly lecherous as he added, "If you are at loose ends, I would be pleased to entertain you."

"Actually, I have in mind to use the free time to explore the area further.  Who knows what other interesting finds we might make in the vicinity."  Lara could tell from Sosa's lack of interest that his pursuit of archaeology was of a very single-minded nature.   His pursuit of her on the other hand was heating up.  She was just as determined to avoid his oily attentions.

"Entertain yourself as you wish, but I would like your company for dinner this evening."  Lara thought to decline the invitation, but one look at Sosa made her realize that this was not an invitation.  Rather more like a royal summons.  "Bring your friends along, if you like.  I'll be serving cocktails at seven."

Lara got the distinct impression that this was the equivalent of a royal summons - little choice to be sure. She simply inclined her head, not willing to give verbal acquiescence.  Turning, Lara headed to the larger hills directly behind the temple mound. She did not bother looking back to gauge the effect her lack of interest had on the drug lord. 

Stretching her legs out to keep up a ground-eating pace, Lara soon realized that the larger hill behind the man-made hill was a larger ridge - not a hill - and it extended further than she first imagined upon seeing it from the perspective of the village.   

Oddly, she thought, the tracks did not move in a predictable pattern as one would expect from someone one conducting a search. Instead, the footprints followed a direct line. Lara had almost convinced herself that the trail could not have been Alex's when she noticed that the trail had been marked.  Subtle, Lara thought.  If you were not looking for sign, the bent twigs and missing bark might look no more suspicious than the evidence of animals passing through an area.  She knew better.  

Alex obviously wanted to make sure that he could easily find his way back to the location ahead with little effort or wasted time.  Lara smiled with grim satisfaction.  Wasn't it thoughtful of Alex to make finding the back entrance to the tomb so easy for her?  She doubted that he would appreciate the irony.  

She did – immensely.

It took Lara two hours to hike to the back of the ridge.  At first, she followed a well-worn path.  Near the top of the ridge, Lara spied a set of tracks that veered off the main course. About the right size to be Alex's shoe prints.  Lara decided that it would be just as well to follow the tracks as strike out on her own vector.   Just a short while later she was drawing close to an odd outcrop in a steep area on the west side of the mount.  The area underneath fell under a deep shadow.  Not remarkable normally, but Lara's keenly honed observation skills told her that the shadow hid more than just harmless vegetation.  Drawing closer, the precise lines of a man-made structure became obvious in the dim shadows.  Though she doubted anything about this adventure would be so easy, Lara put a shoulder to the stone portal and heaved.  Solid as the mountain that surrounded it, she mentally groused.  Nothing was going to come easy for her here.  It had to be punishment for her gullibility, she mused.  If fate intended her to work twice as hard to earn her reward, well then – dammit – she'd work three times as hard and make it look like a walk in the park.

Concentrating on the door, she pulled out a notebook and sketched the pictograms that decorated the portal.  There was no evidence that the entry had been breached in the last 400 odd years.  Alex, luckily, had not gotten any further.  She would need to make plans for a quick departure and come back tonight to liberate the medallion from the tomb.  

Then she would need to figure out how to ditch Alex and retrieve the talisman.  Lara was angry with him, but not so vengeful as to leave him in Sosa's hands.  But it was a close thing…

If he crossed her just one more time…

TBC… 


	11. She Loves Me She Loves Me Not

**I have to apologise. Everytime that I thought that I was almost done with this chapter, there'd be something else that Lara just had to say... Next thing I know, I've written one of the longest chapters I've every done. Hope it's not too tedious. And thanks to all the reviews and those who have waited patiently for my delayed update - Chianna.**

**Chapter 11 – She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not**  
  
It was the pounding on the door that finally woke Alex. The shadows in the room hinted at late afternoon. Barely having swung his bare feet over the bed, Alex realized he did not need to open the door. Hillary beat him to it, though the angle did not allow him to see who was there. Certainly not Lara. She swept into a room like she owned it. Just as she had breezed into his heart. He got the distinct impression when he showed her the medallion, she was not to pleased with him. Alex had closed his eyes as much from not wanting to see the disappointment on her face as utter exhaustion.  
  
He reached up with one hand and messaged the back of his neck dropping his head between his shoulders. Alex felt hung over, though the only drug in his system was not a narcotic. Probably too much sleep, though his body had obviously needed it.  
  
Lost in his thoughts, the adventurer did not realize someone had approached him until the shadows thickened around him.  
  
A low rumbling chuckle was preamble to the friendly greeting that seemed to originate from higher than Alex's stiff neck would allow him to tilt up.  
  
"Señior West... You are looking well for a dead man." Two hundred and twenty pounds settled to sit on the bed next to Alex. Powerfully built, Benito Alvarez's face was reminiscent of the tomb carvings of ancient Incan warriors. His hooked nose and angular cheekbones made his face in repose quite forbidding. Lucky for Benito, that the smile that often graced his face provided a warmth that lit his features and drew people like moths to a candle flame.  
  
His head still hanging low between his shoulders, Alex turned just enough to favor his friend with a crooked smile. "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Benito was a Peruvian who straddled two worlds with amazing ease. The locals in the village accepted them as one of their own though he had the good fortune of gaining both his undergraduate and graduate degrees abroad at Oxford. Alex earned Benito's respect by working along side the villagers – giving direction at times but always willing to lend a hand.  
  
Eyes dark as obsidian looked the blond up and down as if examining a particularly flawed artifact. The smile disappeared as the young Peruvian took in the few wounds and bandages visible now that Alex was dressed. His perusal of his friend culminated in the twin bandages braceleting Alex's wrists.  
  
"I should have known that you were in trouble when Sosa insisted that I make a run for supplies. You were injured when we pulled you out of the rubble but Sosa had you fixed up. They said you were going to be fine. I should have known that Sosa was biding his time until I left to do..." Benito looked away from his friend, his eyes dropping to Alex's bandaged wrists "...this. I am sorry compadre. He would have had a fight from me if I had been here."  
  
"Benito, this is my fault and none of yours. I detonated some dynamite to close the entrance to the tomb. I just didn't expect to be caught by my own handiwork."  
  
Benito's normally stoic features couldn't mask an expression of utter disbelief. "I thought you wanted to find the talisman as much as Sosa did. Why?" Almost fearful of what he would see in his friend's eyes, the American turned slowly. He was amazed and gratified to see puzzlement but not suspicion.  
  
Then like a bolt of ill-timed lightning, Alex realized how insane what he was about to say would sound like to the ears of anyone outside the inner circle of Lara and her friends. Ah let's just put it plain Alex though. Benito would think I was nuttier than the proverbial shit house rat. Looking up for divine guidance, he dragged a hand through his already bed- rumpled hair. Stealing a glance at Hillary who was puttering toward the back of the cabin, he saw a disapproving frown and a firm shake of the head. Obviously Hillary harbored some hope that I'm not completely certifiable, Alex mused grimly.  
  
"Let's just say that I came to the realization that the talisman would be lost to the world if Sosa got his hands on it and your people would loose out on a treasure rightfully theirs." Everything that he said was true, so it was easy to look Benito in the eye and smile as he added, "I was trying to buy some time to come up with a plan..."  
  
"If that is a sample of one of your plans, my friend...well then I am glad that I am back to offer my assistance."  
  
"Oh no you don't," admonished Alex. "I brought you on to help with the dig and research. Not to go up against a bunch of drug cartel goons." Alex patted his friend on the shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring way. He was tempted to take Benito up on his offer of assistance. The last look that he'd seen on Lara's face made him doubt that he could expect any help from that quarter. "Anyway you're just one step away from becoming an instant family man."  
  
Seeing a look of almost comic chagrin on Benito's face, Alex couldn't help needling his friend. "You've got to be kidding me, right? You haven't said anything to Carmella yet? She can't keep her eyes off of you and her daughter adores you."  
  
"Elenita adores you, too. Why haven't you asked her mother out?" Alex couldn't help but notice the slight growl that Benito unconsciously added to the question he posed.  
  
"Besides the fact that you would flatten me if I put a move on Carmella? Uhhh...I guess you could say that I have other...commitments."  
  
Under his breath, the Peruvian said, "Good."  
  
Alex laughed. "Is that good that I haven't poached on your territory or good that I can honestly acknowledge that you could put a serious hurt on me?"  
  
Realizing that he was being teased, Benito lightened up a bit. "Maybe a little of both. We can only hope your good judgment in this case is a sign that the knock you took on the head drove a little common sense into it."  
  
Alex's mouth opened and then slammed shut, lacking a good retort. Instead he decided to guide the conversation away from him and back into safer territory. "So what's the plan in regards to Carmella?"  
  
Benito shrugged. "Though I'm from Peru, these small villages are very tight knit. You wouldn't think of asking a woman out without first requesting permission from her family."  
  
"But Carmella and Elena don't have any real family here since her husband died, right."  
  
"And there is the heart of the problem."  
  
"Aww, come on Ben. That sounds like an excuse to me." Actually Alex could sympathize with Benito's reticence to wear his heart on his sleeve. "What if I stop by Carmella's and test the waters for you?"  
  
Alex was amused to see his friend's face light up for a moment before his eyes narrowed with suspicion.  
  
"Just be sure that is all you do," Benito said with a lovesick heart that could not easily imagine how other men could fail to covet the object of their affection as well.  
  
Alex grinned. "Do I look like someone that wants to master the art of harp playing?"  
  
Benito smiled affably back at the American. "I think that you must already be keeping company with some very powerful angels to have slipped Sosa's grasp." Suddenly sobering, Benito looked squarely at the younger man. "You are playing a very deep game her, mi amigo. I hope you realize when you play with Sosa, the stakes are quite mortal."  
  
There was little warning as the door swung open drawing the attention of both men to the front of the cabin. Laura stood in the doorway as the late afternoon light haloed around her sending her into dark relief. It was only when she stepped into the room that the Peruvians breath caught a moment and he whispered clandestinely to Alex, "Hermano, you are indeed protected like angels if this woman is the one who rescued you from Sosa."  
  
There was no smile on Lara's face now. She had all the look of an avenging angel. Her face had that shuttered look and chilly smile that never reached her eyes. Having been on the receiving end of "the smile" often enough, Alex was sure that fireworks were imminent. He needed to defuse the situation and get Benito out of the cabin so they could talk.  
  
"Uh, hi Lara." Alex mentally slapped his head - very smooth, West. "This is Benito Sandoval. He's our dig foreman. Benito and I have known each other since we were both interns on a dig down here about 12 years ago."  
  
Alex caught a hardening of Lara's expression as her eyes took in Benito. Uh oh, thought Alex. Benito was about to be tarred with the same brush because he was a friend of Alex's. A bit too quickly he added, "Benito did his post grad at Oxford. He's been with Saunders and Iglesia at Machu Pichu, but I was able to lure him away for a month to help an old friend."  
  
Alex breathed a sigh of relief as Lara's face softened and she extended a hand to the large Peruvian. "A pleasure to me Mr. Sandoval. I read about the progress that your team has made in the journals on dating and categorizing pottery at the site."  
  
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Croft. Your exploits are quite renowned as well. Your father's writings are what inspired me to follow this path. I regret that I never had the chance to meet him and tell him this."  
  
"What a pleasure it is to meet genuinely dedicated archeologist." The compliment would have been taken at face value if Lara had not turned and smiled chillingly at Alex as she put emphasis on the last three words.  
  
Alex put his hand over his heart pantomiming a mortal wound that seemed to sour Lara's smile somewhat.  
  
Benito turned in confusion to look at Alex's reaction to the subtle insult and saw his friend quickly raise his hand from his chest to drag his fingers though his hair. He was not sure what to make of the two but he was sure that there was some undercurrent that he was just not tapping into.  
  
"Sosa has invited us to dinner within the hour Mr. West." Giving him a top to bottom perusal, it was obvious that Alex was found wanting. "You might try finding something to wear that doesn't look like you've slept in it all day."  
  
Alex's mouth gaped at the unfairness of her comment and just as quickly shut when he saw the look of unvarnished curiosity and inkling of the strong feelings between the two. Alex was sure that he could no longer tease Benito about his unrequited love without suffering a barb or two.  
  
Instead of verbally taking on Lara in front of his friend, Alex decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "I'll walk you out Benito. It'll take me almost a whole hour to decide which pair of shoes will go with the absolutely stunning blue ball gown I picked out for tonight's soiree."  
  
Benito couldn't help a short bark of laughter as West stepped out of the cabin with him and shut the door knowing his friend would have questions with answers that he was sure he did not want Lara to overhear.  
  
In the harsh afternoon glare, Benito's smile faded as he saw the lines of pain and exhaustion etched deeply in the American's face. If Alex had slept all afternoon, the only corroborating evidence was indeed the rumpled state of his clothing. Then again, Sandoval pondered, nothing like a fractious female to drive a man to distraction.  
  
"I heard that Lady Croft came here and saved you, amigo. Forgive me for saying this, but she does not act like a woman who flew half way around to world to save your neck. She acts more like someone wanting to find a tall tree with a long rope hanging from it."  
  
"We have a complicated relationship."  
  
"I'll say. You call that a relationship?"  
  
"I've given her reason not to distrust me in the past. Jumping into bed with Sosa did nothing to elevate me in her estimation I guess." More to himself, he added, "I just wish like hell I knew what I did in the last six hours to make her mad."  
  
"She is a woman, no? She needs no better reason than that."  
  
"Oh pal. You better watch yourself. Saying stuff like that is no way to ingratiate yourself with the fairer sex."  
  
"Tell a woman this? Do you think I am crazy? But as a great man once said – To be forewarned is to be forearmed."  
  
"You need to be packing like the 1st Armored Cav to deal with Lara, "Alex muttered.  
  
Benito smiled gently, "Well then. I will leave you to deal with your woman problems and mine as well. Suddenly I feel quite fortunate indeed. I will see you at dinner." Alex was ready to damn his friend to the inner most ring of Dante's inferno when his friend turned away and had the temerity to whistle a sprightly tune. At Alex's frustrated growl, Benito didn't even bother to look back. He simply sketched a wave, his laughter trailing lightly behind him.  
  
Alex turned back to the shack and kicked at an imaginary stone. He fought the urge to whistle taps as he headed back in to change for dinner.  
  
Lara changed into clean clothes more for her own comfort than to suit the drug dealer. When Alex entered she was rebraiding damp hair. Sitting at the table, her eyes bored into Alex the moment he reentered the hut.  
  
Her voice, a deceptively soft purr, queried, "So Alex, when were you going to tell me about the amulet you stole and the fact that you've already located a back entrance to the tomb that everyone has been digging out these past few days?"  
  
"Hey, now." Alex walked across to the bed, not surprised to see a shirt, neatly pressed, waiting for him. Raising his voice in indignation, Alex shot back, "I did not steal the amulet..." Realizing without completing the sentence that anything that followed would be on shaky ethical ground, Alex continued with less conviction, "...I found it."  
  
"Found it, failed to inform the authorities and smuggled it out of the country."  
  
"Like you've never done that before."  
  
Lara walked right up to Alex and looked him eye to eye. "Let's see. Have I ever secreted away an artifact and put my friends lives in danger for nothing more than my own greed and self gratification?" Lara tilted her head and with one hand tapped her index finger against her temple as if I deep thought. "Hmmmm?" Lara straightened and looking straight at Alex, her eyes burning almost black with anger. "That would be NO, Alex."  
  
Alex pleaded, finally understanding the logical path that Lara's mind had taken her. "You don't understand Lara."  
  
"Enlighten me."  
  
"I was interning before my final year at U of C. One of the big finds that season was what we all thought was a cistern. There was a lot of refuse at the bottom, so we assumed that when it dried up, it may have been used as a refuse pit."  
  
Lara nodded, immediately understanding how important a find such as this would be. "Ancient refuse being like treasure to legitimate archaeological types for its ability to reveal intimate details of everyday civilization."  
  
"Bingo! But that's not exactly what we found. The cistern was huge. The capstone on it weighed tons. It took a crane to move it. At least twenty feet across and almost sixty feet deep. Benito and I would climb on our few days off, so I volunteered to go down. Benito belayed me. Almost immediately I realized that our hypotheses was wrong. Roots had obscured most of the sides of the well, but what remained looked to be quite ornate tile work. Too ornate for a well. It wasn't until I reached the bottom that I realized it wasn't a well or even a refuse dump. It was a tomb."  
  
"You took the amulet from one of the bodies." From Lara it was a statement, not a question.  
  
Alex winced at the sentiment behind the flat emotionless statement. He turned to Lara his hands out, palms up as if to show that there were no tricks up his sleeve. "I was a kid back then, all I know was that I had to have it. It had to be mine." "Sounds like the mantra that has ruled all your adult life Alex. So this is how you knew Ampata killed herself to hide the Jaguar amulet? You found her body. What are you going to tell Sosa when he wants to start looking for the Huascar's feathered serpent amulet?"  
  
"Tell him what? I'd have both amulets. Nothing to stop us from heading at a clip for Bolivia."  
  
"So when did this whole exercise become a plan to save the world? Was it when things stared to head south on you? Decided to compose a poignant letter to con me into coming to your rescue?"  
  
Alex was no longer confused or regretful. He was getting royally pissed off at being the object of Lara's suspicion and contempt.  
  
"What the hell happened to you within just six hours to turn you from..." Alex hesitated. He'd almost said angel. This was definitely not heart in sleeve time. "...whatever you were last night... to the cast iron bitch on roller skates you're acting like now?"  
  
"The moment I saw the amulet and knew you were up to your old mercenary tricks again. Finding the back entrance to the tomb following your tracks only confirmed what I already suspected."  
  
"What do I have to do to prove to you that I won't betray you? Get myself killed?" Angrily Alex tore the shirt off his back, wadded it up and threw it like a missile at the bed before rounding back on Lara. "Oh yeah, been there done that. Let's see. How could I top that?" Alex drove his fist into the new shirt like a pile driver. Pacing in the small space as Lara sat coolly in front of him, Alex turned once again, shrugging his other arm and barely stifling a wince when sore muscles protested the violent treatment.  
  
Lara heard the quick intake of breath and for a moment felt the urge to smooth things over. She didn't get the chance as Alex continued on his tirade.  
  
Dripping with sarcasm, he added, "Oh, wait Lara. I have it! If I get myself killed and stay dead, then maybe you'll believe that I'm not a totally self serving bastard."  
  
"No. You'll just be dead."  
  
Alex looked at her with absolute disbelief and threw up his hands in mock surrender. "I give up. Nothing... no one is worth this."  
  
"I'm going after Huascar's amulet tonight. You can join me or not. Your choice. But, tomorrow while they finish up digging out the entrance, Hillary, Bryce and I are leaving for Bolivia with or without you." Lara was pretty sure that Alex wasn't up to an excursion tonight, especially not an all out assault on a tomb. So she was surprised when he simply said, "Fine!"  
  
Not prepared for his answer, Lara simply returned a "Fine," of her own.  
  
Alex stalked out of the hut. Lara thought it was likely that he was just blowing off steam and not headed for Sosa's without her. If he did something that foolish...if something happened to him, Lara let the guilt wash through her for just a moment. She might be partially to blame for driving him to it.  
  
As if to echo her thoughts, Hillary said, "Don't you think you were being a bit rough on the chap?" "He put us all in danger."  
  
"We all had a choice, Lara." Hillary's face was compassionate though Lara could sense a lecture in her immediate future as his eyes studied her thoughtfully.  
  
"He has his choices to make, though they always seem to be the wrong ones."  
  
"Are they Lara? He may not have revealed the whole story in the most timely of fashions, but he's been through a lot in the last few days. Under any other circumstances, he would be in a hospital right now." Hillary reserved just a hint of censure for his next statement. "He's made the right decision before and from the sound of it – nearly cost him dearly. The male animal is not wired to understand mixed signals..."  
  
Lara couldn't help the heat that crept into her voice. "Mixed signals...?"  
  
Hillary had been too long in the Croft service to be distracted by the icy anger in Lara's tone normally adequate to send lesser men running for the hills.  
  
"Nightingale to Nemesis in 6.2 seconds."  
  
"You see me as a goddess of retribution?" Lara had to smile. In some ways she had cast herself in the role more than once or twice. But the objects of her ire were well-deserving exploiters of art, history and human misery.  
  
Hillary pinned Lara with his intuitive gaze. "Nemesis certainly was responsible for meting out justly deserved retribution. I was thinking more of her job of keeping the balance between joy and sorrow by balancing the excessive favors of her fellow god of good fortune, Tykhe, by ensuring the proper amounts of sorrow and ill fortune. I just worry you are overly preoccupied with making sure you are never afflicted with an overabundance of joy by keeping anyone that gets close to you at arms length."  
  
Lara felt the warmth of Hillary's concern and felt her annoyance with the forward butler evaporate. Placing both hands on his shoulders, she "Really? If that were true, I would have to sack a certain butler I've grown quite fond of."  
  
"Lara, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't get cute with me. You're a beautiful young woman who has dealt with her fair share of sadness and deserves more..."  
  
"Is that a proposal?"  
  
Hillary sighed deeply and forged on, ignoring Lara's attempts to deter him from his course.  
  
"...more than just going from one adventure to another."  
  
"Not to mention from one lover to another."  
  
Hillary smiled while somehow clearing his throat in mock embarrassment. "Hmmm, too true in the last few years. Odd though how there has been a dearth of late night visitors in the past year." Hillary looked up as if trying to recall a particularly illusive memory. "And you've been the proverbial home body since..." With a slight pause, "...returning from Siberia by way of Venice last year. Hmmm."  
  
Laura found she was feeling unreasonably defensive. "I've been busy." "You haven't collected a lot of passport stamps in the past year."  
  
"I've been planning my next expedition."  
  
"For an entire year? Odd lack of decisiveness and expediency for someone who had us in Peru in less than twenty four hours after receiving Alex's dreary missive."  
  
Lara had no witty comeback to counter the truth in her friend's words.  
  
Hillary's voice lost its bantering tone. "Whether welcome by you or not, or whether he realizes it or not, I think that young man has fallen in love with you. Annoying as it may seem, it is the quixotic nature of most men to fall in love with what is remote and unattainable." Hillary took a deep breath. He had no intention to be cruel, but he felt he must say what needed to be said. "I find that I've grown to like Alex West, Lara. He's not physically up to one of your adventures right now. Whether you realize it or not you've dropped a gauntlet that no man can resist."  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
"To prove himself worthy, Lara. Admit it. Even you were surprised when he said he would go with you to the tomb tonight."  
  
Suddenly Lara's normally impressive barriers came down – not with crash, but with a few softly spoken words. "You see me as remote?"  
  
With conviction, Hillary stated, "Never. But we've been through quite a bit and you grew to trust me long before you learned that life is not all happy endings. You're willingness to extend that trust to anyone else since your father was killed has been rare, to say the least."  
  
"Bryce?"  
  
"Hmm, but not the same thing. I know you'd mourn us if anything happened to either Bryce or I. But you forget that we saw you with Alex last night. I can't say that I understand everything that happened then or a year ago. But I know what I saw."  
  
"And what exactly did you see, Hillary?"  
  
"I saw a very beautiful and determined woman doing everything within her power to keep a man from dying."  
  
"Do you doubt that I'd do the same for you or Bryce."  
  
"Lara, you've never lied to me so don't lie to yourself. You held him as if you planned to wrestle him from the very arms of Death. And he kissed you as if you were the very air that he breathed. I'm not sure what you call it, but I can tell you that 99.9% of the inhabitants of this planet would sell their soul to know that someone cared for them with that intensity even for just one moment in time."  
  
"One moment out of time."  
  
"Try convincing Alex of that. I think he wants that Lara back. He'll likely keep trying to prove that what you think of him now is wrong. To prove to you he's worthy of your affections. Of course, you've only let your feelings for him show when you've come close to loosing him. For his sake, I hope you sort that out before he gets himself killed trying to live up to what he thinks are your expectations."  
  
"My only expectation is to get the Talisman and thwart whatever plan that Sosa has for it. Of course, that, and I also plan to have dinner. Are you and Bryce joining us tonight?"  
  
If Hillary was disappointed that Lara did not seem to be willing to discuss his concerns, he did not let on to his employer and friend.  
  
"Go on without us, Lara. Eating with Sosa sounds like a guaranteed way to get indigestion."  
  
Lara favored Hillary with a thoughtful smile and turned and left the cabin.  
  
Having seen Alex working with the locals in Cambodia, Lara was not surprised to find the growing crowd of laughing villagers gathering around him and his friend Benito. Alex seemed to fit so well with the amiable group and yet stand out. They could be any group of men greeting an old friend, swapping tall tails and war stories. Yet by all accounts, Alex had only been working with them for a couple of weeks. Certainly, his friendship with Benito would pave the way with some of the men. Doubtless, Alex's penchant to work among the men like they were all equals, just as in Cambodia, cemented the Peruvians regard for the foreigner. As she watched him laugh, she was charmed, yet again. Smiling, his blue eyes creased at the corners in a way that made her feel an odd ache in her chest. His tousled golden hair, rather that looking messy, reminded Lara of how boyish Alex looked lying in bed – in her bed.  
  
Lara mentally smacked herself in the forehead. She couldn't believe that she was getting softheaded about Alex. Looking around, Lara realized that she could not afford to loose focus. Some of Sosa's men were strategically situating themselves to watch the small knot of men. One of the men stood out with a malicious gleam in his eye as he watched the American with his friends. Dressed like a runty Indiana Jones, Lara watched as he lovingly fingered a whip coiled on his hip, while never taking his eyes off Alex. His thin, feral face and long pinched nose gave him a wolfishly predatory look further enhanced by the gold incisor that winked in the sunlight whenever he smiled. Lara had the sneaking suspicion wolf boy here had been instrumental in doing some of the damage she tended on Alex's back.  
  
As she started to walk toward the group, she saw Benito look with concern toward the positions of each of Sosa's lieutenants. He was still expecting problems from Soso's underlings when bad luck overtook them from an unexpected direction. One of the younger local men on the dig had joined the group. Just barely out of his teens, it was obvious the boy looked up to the American. In his enthusiasm, the kid slapped Alex on the back in greeting. Distracted, Benito was slow to react. Benito's attention was immediately drawn back to Alex when he heard the gasp from some of the men around them. With his back to Lara, she could not see Alex's face, but she could imagine. For a second, his body stiffened before she saw his knees start to give way. It was only an instant before Benito's arm shot out to support his friend. The boy looked devastated.  
  
Lara started to move toward Alex when she saw his left arm go over Benito's shoulders as he laughed shakily. She could hear the boy's stammering apologies cut off as Alex interrupted the younger man. With his free arm, Alex gently jabbed the boy in the shoulder. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she could appreciate the smile that returned to the kid's face as the group continued on their way down the lane.  
  
Unfortunately, Lara was not alone in noting the grip that Alex hand on Benito's shoulder. The strain to recover from the unexpected pain was evident in how his fingers gripped the material of Benito's shirt.  
  
She heard a cackle to just behind her and to her right that sounded like squeaky hinges. Purposely pitched loud enough for her and the group just a head of her to hear, wolf boy or after hearing that laugh, Lara amended, hyena boy, commented, "I think Mr. West still feels a reminder of our fascinating interview a few days ago. With any luck I will get to remind him of how much fun we had again soon." He fingered the coiled whip at his hip like he was strumming a guitar.  
  
Lara could see that Alex had indeed heard the comments as she watched him stiffen for a moment. Not sure why hyena boy had decided to move in so close to her, Lara found she could not let such a fortuitous opportunity pass.  
  
Stopping without warning Lara's forearm pitched up from her elbow with amazing economy of movement. The only indication of the power behind the pivot of her arm came in the satisfying soggy crunch that occurred as the back of her hand connected with the bastard's nose.  
  
Benito glanced back at Lara with a genuine smile and tilt of his head to acknowledge appreciation of a service he would have gladly done himself if he could. Alex did show good judgment in choosing his friends. She couldn't help but return the man's infectious grin with one of her own.  
  
Without turning around to address the man clutching his ruined nose, Lara's words trailed behind her dripping with deadly precision, "Oh dear. It looks like you are going to have a _reminder_ of this charming little moment for quite a few days to come." Lara turned and pierced the man who was holding his nose with both of his hands with a fearsome glare. "Come anywhere near Alex West and I guarantee that I can provide you with a further and more permanent reminder of how much fun we had here today."  
  
Alex's laughter drifted back to her as he commented to no one in particular, "That's my girl!"  
  
Lara felt a not unwelcome warmth settle in the vicinity of her heart. She blamed it for her seeming inability to reply with a witty and scathing retort to Alex. Instead, she followed behind the American adventurer and his friends as the rest of Sosa's lieutenants choose to keep a respectful distance between themselves and the beautiful woman walking ahead of them.  
  
**_TBC..._**


	12. Mixed Signals

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**Author's note: **Oh I know, this chapter is so long overdue and a tad short. But if it's any consolation the whole story is done (at least in my head) and I will finish this!

**Chapter 12 - Mixed Signals**

Dinner was a tedious affair. Upon entering Sosa's far more ornate and generously sized residence, it was obvious to Lara that this was not a new structure. She was certain that some villager of consequence had been forced to _lend_ his family's accommodations to Sosa. Sosa had possessively taken her arm and led her to a seat next to him at the head of the table. Alex took a seat at far end with his friend Benito, seeming to settle into animated conversation.

Unknown to Lara, Alex often stole glances her way Annoyed that she seemed to be enjoying herself, he tried to console himself with the thought that Lara was merely playing a role to distract the drug czar. But did she have to be such a good actress, Alex groused to himself.

If Benito sensed the blonde's ill ease, he did not show it. Amicably, he was conversing with the men on their side of the table. When he noticed Alex wiping his mouth and placing the napkin next to his plate, he looked with concern on his friend. Alex noted Benito's unease and shook his head ever so slightly. Standing up, he made his excuses to the men seated near him. "It's been a long day. I'm heading back to our cabin. I'll see you all in the morning." It was only 8 pm, but Alex had made his friend a promise. They'd probably be leaving by morning, possibly in great haste and he wanted to make sure he took the time to lay a foundation for Benito. If he waited any later to visit with Carmella and Elena, tongues in the village would be wagging for sure.

Benito looked up concerned and started to rise as well. Alex was not safe out on his own after dark. The younger man saw his friends concern and placed a stilling hand on his firneds shoulder. Alex mouthed the name _Carmella_ and then winked. Benito settled back in his chair, though his concerns were far from quieted. To his relief, no one else left the room once Alex exited. He would stay and ensure it. Benito knew where to find Alex if anyone else departed in his wake.

The generously sized room shrunk for Lara until her focus was solely set up the American adventurer. She'd stolen glances at him throughout the evening, feeling just a little responsible. Lara had an inkling, if not for their heated words earlier, Alex would have just assumed stay and rest in the hut in preparation for the night's adventure.

And what was up with the glances that Sosa had leveled at the younger man at the foot of the table had been poisonous at the very least, Lara mused. Not for the first time, Lara wondered it Alex had lied to her about what he'd done before they had arrived to rescue him. The drug kingpin's hatred seemed to be bordering on the irrational without a more reasonable explanation. Trying to squelch the feeling that she'd led Daniel into the lion's den, Lara grew still as Alex stood up and excused himself.

Only one instant later, her concern melted like an ice cube in hell. Grimly she wondered if Alex knew she could read lips. Not that she needed to, as the wink seemed to say more than the single word that left a cold feeling of emptiness where her heart had been.

_Carmella_.

Alex turned back to look at Lara from the doorway only to see Lara laugh lightly at something Sosa said. Gently she placed her hand on his arm as she smiled sweetly into the bastard's eyes. Closing his eyes did nothing to erase the picture from Alex's mind or dull the ache in his chest at the thought that Lara was slipping away from him yet again.

And this time he didn't have a clue as to why.

_**TBC…**_

_A very special thanks to all those who have stuck with me and the Lost Talisman. In the next Chapter Lara has a showdown with Alex and sparks will fly! The path of true love is never easy. Tomb Raiding to follow soon after!_


	13. A Fork In The Road

**Disclaimers: See first chapter.**

**Chapter 13 – A Fork in the Road**

Night fall in higher elevations comes with a velvety blackness relieved only by clear, breathtakingly starry nights and the light spilling out from the windows of the villager's adobe and thatch homes. With a night so clear, cool and unimaginably romantic, Alex could not believe that he was on his way to a rendezvous with another man's sweetheart.

He would have liked nothing better than to admire the southern hemisphere's constellations with his arms around Lara. The possibility of that ever happening was getting more remote by the second. Lara had come to rescue him. Alex was sure of it. That had to mean Lara cared for him - even just a little. At least he had been sure of it when she'd held him through the fever and chills of the previous night.

Less than twenty four hours later and all of the assumptions of the previous evening were as ephemeral as the ghosts of the ancient Incans whose paths they followed to this latest treasure.

Lost in his morose thoughts, Alex was almost taken by surprise when he found himself in front of Carmella's house.

Suddenly, Alex realized he probably was the last person to be acting as a matchmaker. Of course, unlucky at love, might mean lucky at matchmaking. Not to mention that Benito was getting no where fast without a kindly shove in the right direction. Alex knocked gently on the door.

The door opened only a crack as the occupants were justifiably concerned as to who might be on their threshold this late at night. A weary eye gave way to a broad smile, as a woman in her late 30's opened the door in greeting. Elena's mother was small. Benito must tower over her, Alex thought. She had the same exotic almond eyes that filled her daughter's face with promise of future beauty.

Alex was just a bit uncomfortable. He was not sure how to begin, so he simply cleared his throat and plunged right in. Before he could get out the words, Carmella sensed his discomfort and tried to put him at ease.

''Senior Alex, I was very happy to hear that you..." Embarrassed, Carmella's sentence drifted off. ''You have very good friends,'' she finished just a tad lamely.

"Yes, well...'' Alex did not feel like reviewing the finer points of his pathetic relationship with Lara, at least not with Carmella or without the fortification of seriously large quantities of alcohol. "Actually, I'm here to talk to you about a friend -Benito, in fact."

Carmella's face colored a becoming shade of pink and her eyes immediately looked down.

Maybe it was a flaw in the make up of the male animal, but Alex couldn't help but be grateful since this young woman's discomfort made all this seem a bit more bearable. Then, as he pressed forward on behalf of his friend, he was rewarded with the realization that the young woman in front of him was just as uncomfortable as he felt talking about his feelings. With this, Alex gained confidence and spoke more eloquently on his friend's behalf than he had ever been able to in his own. Elena's embarrassed blush turned first to a gentle smile and soon to joyous wonder. Alex himself couldn't help the wide grin that stretched across his face as he realized his friend was indeed lucky in love. Just as many bearers of good news have learned in the past, Alex found himself heaped with good will and gifts. As he made his excuses to leave, sensitive to the fact that Laura would be ready soon after midnight to start their little adventure. Carmella heaped small parcels of food and other little tokens she thought would make their cottage more comfortable.

He was barely out the door when Elena came running out with one final package wrapped in paper and twine.

"Senior Alex, Elenita found what she called your _lucky shirt_ in the garbage after you disappeared. She said that you would want it when you came back and though I did not believe that it was possible, she did. The little one kept it wrapped and ready for your return." Elena stood on tip toe in front of the blonde American and as fast as a hummingbird, kissed his cheek. "I am glad that you returned too."

Startled for a moment only, Alex took the tiny Peruvian woman into his arms giving her a hug and replied, "And I am glad that my good friend Benito was lucky enough to find such a kind and sweet woman as you." For just a moment, Alex thought about his own poor luck in love. Somehow his sadness must have been transparent to the women before him.

Reaching up, Ellena gently touched his frowning lips. "Your angel may be elusive, but she seems to always be there when you most need her. I think she has not given up on you, Senior Alex. Do not give up on her." With those simple words, she turned gracefully on her heel and closed the door gently behind her.

Bemused, Alex realized that he was smiling as he contemplated, even hoped, that Carmella was right. As he turned, his smile and the hope that had grown with it evaporated. Not more than 30 feet away, Lara stood, hands on her hips. The only angel that she resembled right now was an avenging one.

And Alex was firmly caught in her crosshairs.

As she walked closer, Alex thought Lara's eyes glittered coldly like chips of obsidian.

"Well, well, Alex. I am impressed. Your stamina is… unexpected." Lara made a dismissive wave toward the parcels in his arms. "This is a new low – even for you - but I do have to commend you on one thing. You've graduated from stealing from your lovers. Now they are paying you."

Though confused when Lara first started talking, Alex realized with chilling clarity exactly what Lara was insinuating with an uncharacteristic lack of subtlety.

For the first time in a long time, Alex didn't feel the guilt that had been dogging him since taking the prayer wheels. He felt an almost satisfying flash of anger burn through him. Anger at himself for still caring what this she-devil thought of him, anger at whoever had taught Lara to expect the worst of those that could care for her the most, anger at the fates that seemed to love to thrust him into situations like this for their own twisted amusement. In just a moment the heat of all this anger burned so brightly that only two items remained for Alex to hold on to. He loved Lara beyond all reson and logic and just as clearly he could never harbor any hope that she could come to love him as well.

Alex's eyes held Lara's with an intensity as deep as they were blue. "I'm heading back to the cabin. I'm as ready to get this over with as I can tell you are."

Yet again, Lara could not get a rise out of Alex as she baited him. Somehow his seeming lack of concern or any outward emotion left and an emptiness in her chest that threatened to steal her breath. To fight this weekness she struck out instead of succumb.

"I know what I saw Alex. Any protestations to the contrary on your part are rubbish."

Alex's eyes for the first time flashed with anger. He spun a round and waved grandly at an imaginary audience. "Did you hear any protests… any denials at what you say you just witnessed?"

As if quizzing a jury he did not expect a reply and furnished his own. "no. no you didn't Lara. And you know why? Because if you think you did, they didn't come from me. And since I seem to be the only one here, if you are hearing things, you've got some serious problems of your own."

"I know what I saw, Alex." Lara bit out with grim intensity.

"You only see what you expect to see, Lara." Alex turned away and started walking in the direction of the cabin. "When you look at me Lara, I've always held out the hope that you would see me…see me…" Alex struggled to find the right words and settled for the only ones that came close, "…with better eyes."

His voice trailed off as his long strides put distance between them. "Another example of a lack of judgment on my part you can pile up on all the other failures of character you seem hell bent to remind me and yourself of at every opportunity."

Alex finally had gotten the last word (at least of the only kind that can be reproduced on these politely pages.) Leaving Lara to fume in the most unsatisfactory of all moods – when you are not sure you are more mad at the person you are trading barbs with or mad that the unflattering image they portray of you might, in even the barest sense, be accurate. In an all-to-human display of rationalizing, Lara decided to ignore the mirror and continued to direct her ire at it's bearer once again.

Little did she know that in doing so, she was to set in motion a series of events that might mean the destruction of everyone and everything that Lady Lara Croft held dear.

TBC…

Coming soon: **Chapter 14 – A Raid, A Row (again) and… Revenge**.


	14. Raid, A Row and Revenge

**Authors note: **I tried to make this chapter worthy to make up for the long wait till I posted this. There have been several reviewers in the past months (yeah, I know – criminal on my part) that have asked me to update and every single message was taken to heart. I love these characters and there is no intention to abandon them. Among the several that deserve a shout out include: Lady Aurra, guestyo (a faithful reader and rereader), Pikajenn, Dragonsdaughter1, sharp, Darlian and the ever thoughtful Shauniwritesit and so many more that have reviewed other chapters without mention on my part. The next part is all blocked out and will be posted next Sunday. Many thanks to all in this New Year!

**Chapter 14 - A Raid, A Row (again) and… Revenge**.

Lara tried to reestablish what she was convinced was a justifiable anger towards Alex. Her resolve in that quarter was wavering as she watched West cram item after item in a worn rucksack. His otherwise chiseled lips were now drawn in a grim line and his sharp jabs into the sack tipped her off to his level of annoyance. Lara's teeth worried at her lower lip in mild confusion. For all the world, Alex seemed to be acting like the injured party instead of the guilty one. And she was not liking this role reversal one bit. To add insult to injury, Hillary was looking at her like she was responsible for Alex's foul mood.

Lara allowed herself a weak smile - she was responsible for his annoyance but what little satisfaction that afforded her was dampened by the thought that somehow she might not be wronged party this time around.

Hillary decided that shooting reproving looks at his employer was not achieving the results he desired. Instead he moved towards Lara's side and urgently whispered in her ear.

"You know that he is not up to one of your jaunts tonight."

Barely moving her lips, Lara replied, "It's his decision, not mine."

Hillary continued stubbornly, "Did you try to talk him out of going with you tonight?" Lara looked back at the butler with a cool even stare, making no reply. Hillary was not fooled for a moment.

At hearing an exasperated sigh from Hillary, Lara replied, "He's a big boy. He knows his own limitations."

Hillary made a brief gesture with his hand, which even in its economy of motion seemed to encompass the shack, the village and the whole sordid affair to this point. "What here would make you think he has any sense of his limitations?"

Lara barely had a moment to stifle an unladylike snort of laughter before they were reminded that they we're not alone in the rather limited space of the small cabin they shared.

"Hellll-llllo." Alex asserted with undisguised annoyance and a flash of icy blue eyes. "I'm still here."

Laura couldn't pass up a perfect opportunity. Her brown eyes flashed with mischievous satisfaction. "Would you be a dear and alleviate that particularly annoying problem for us?"

Alex sucked in a raw breath at the barbed comment. Slamming the backpack into place between his shoulders, he replied with dripping sarcasm, "It would be my pleasure, your ladyship!" A moment later, he ducked out of the door and out into the night.

Lara didn't have to turn around find out how Hillary was judging her behavior - waves of censure were rolling toward her, and not just from her loyal friend and butler. Bryce's unusual focus on his computer and failure to make comment on the little scene as it had just played out, spoke volumes.

Hillary broke the silence first. "I'm not sure what else you think that Mr. West has done, but I've never known you to be anything less than doggedly thorough. You never rush to judgment." More quietly he added, "…and I've never known you to needlessly cruel."

Lara turned to Hillary, her eyes dark and stricken when she thought that she heard disappointment in his tone. When her eyes met his, she only saw gentle concern reflected in them.

"I guess Alex has the ability to bring out the worst in me."

"Of course, my dear - he's American."

Lara could not help but let a chuckle bubble to the surface. "Well Hillary, since you seem to have grown so attached to him, I guess I can try and keep him out of trouble."

"I would prefer that you keep each other safe. Anything less always seems to require more effort on my part." Hilary's affected tones of boredom made a lie by the sparest of smiles.

Lara stood at the open door, the black of her cargo pants and T-shirt making her seem to disappear with the exception of her face, like an impudent Cheshire cat. To fix the image in his mind, Lara did smile; her teeth gleaming like ivory in the meager light of the doorway. She turned quickly and was lost to the darkness.

Hillary stood at the door and spoke to no one in particular. "Stay safe Lara dear and keep your young man safe as well. I fear if you loose him now… you'll loose part of yourself."

000

Lara caught up Alex with little effort. As she approached, she noted he kept a strong and steady pace, giving her some confirmation that he was feeling up for the activities they had planned for the evening. As she closed in on him, Lara could tell the exact moment that Alex was aware of her presence. His shoulders squared - he really did have nice shoulders, she thought - though he did not acknowledge her presence. Within a half hour they had made it to the almost unseen path that led to the back entrance of the tomb.

At some point, Alex must have retrieved the jaguar amulet because she saw a glint of its emerald eyes as Alex removed it from around his neck. With only the limited light of her torch to light the path, Lara was struck by how her companion seemed to know every inch of the way. Finally, they arrived at the foliage camouflaged back entrance to the tomb. Before she had the time to raise the light from their path to the wall, Alex was already raising the amulet to the wall as he brushed some of the vines to one side. Either Alex had reconnoitered the area more than she expected given his busy schedule prior to her arrival or something singularly odd was happening. The thought was further confirmed when he palmed the amulet and pressed it into a shadow on the wall. As Lara raised the light to see where his hand disappeared into the darkened indentation. Revealed was a hand imprint carved into the bare rock. Alex's hand was already snuggly fit into the carving and turning the stone before Lara placed the light on it. She heard a quiet 'snick' as if something fell into place. A louder grinding followed as a large portion of the seemingly solid wall pulled back and then rose out of view.

Alex seemed concerned at the loud noise. Abruptly turning and scanning the area without seeing anything to cause alarm, his gaze finally met Lara's for the first time since leaving the cottage.

So much in the moment, he seemed started to see her as if waking from a dream. Alex gave her a rueful smile.

"Like opening my own door. Think that was too easy?"

Lara eyed him with some suspicion. ''Yes. Just like opening your own door? Are you sure this is the first time you've opened this particular door?"

Alex's eyes opened wider in a calculated attempt to look innocent completely at odds with the crooked smile. ''Did I say I haven't been here before?"

Lara drawled out one word in thinly concealed annoyance that was obviously a warning of imminent peril to Alex West's person, "Alex."

Maybe he had forgotten his frustration with Lara or maybe it was just the opportunity to tweak the object of his most frustrating affection. Blue eyes sparked with mischief.

"Well, I've been here. I just haven't been past _here._" Alex gestured at the doorway and the gloom beyond. "That should count for something."

Without waiting for a reply, Alex turned into the gloom of the hidden passage. The original brickwork lining the walls of this back entrance was barely visible. Long gone calcified water leaching down the walls had paradoxically coated or worn down the man made portions of the cave as time slowly reclaimed all things back to the more natural and original state.

They were not ten paces down the decaying passage when Lara noted that Alex's enthusiastic gate slowed and became more tentatively cautious. He raised the torch he carried a bit higher and Lara could see the tensing in the lines of his body from the loose-limbed swagger of just moments ago.

Lara could sense it too.

In the upper altitudes of the Peruvian Andes, the climate turns dry. Often bodies, even centuries old, when recovered are found to be mummified by the cool and arid climate. The irony of the extravagant and intricate rituals Egyptians performed to mummify their dead was not lost on Lara. Nature and inexorable time could accomplish with unfathomable perfection what man continued to struggle with.

Here there was no damp. A tomb of this age and of this climate should no longer smell of decay. Yet, with each step they took toward what looked to be a large chamber ahead, Lara and her companion seemed to be surrounded by an increasing miasma of death. With some effort, Lara shook off the sense of foreboding and was somewhat surprised when they came upon the main chamber.

A breath left Alex in an audible huff as Lara sensed that he too was taken off guard by the sight before them.

"Not exactly what you'd expect if you ordered one Incan Emperor's tomb from Central Casting."

Lara took a look at the austere surroundings. Ornamentation was definitely at a minimum. In fact, there seemed to be almost no decorations or funerary objects to be seen at all. Lara started to think that this was not an interment at all, so much as containment.

"Seems like a fitting place of rest for a committer of fratricide and regicide."

Alex nodded in agreement. "You'd think that they wouldn't even bother with a burial given the magnitude of Huascar's crimes." Alex's hand gestured in a sweeping motion taking in the sparse interior. Unadorned columns hewn directly from the virgin granite of the mountain circled the cave and rose into the gloom of the ceiling. The floor was also raw stone, plain but for concentric circles engraved in the floor and leading the eye to a raised dais. There were no pictographs or other forms of writing to designate whose resting place this was. Oddly placed pillars standing about hip high dotted the chamber. The only ornamentation, if you could call it that, were exotic weapons irregularly placed around the perimeter walls. As Lara approached, she noted that the tops featured stone bowls containing a viscous fluid hat reflected the light of her torch. Alex was already walking around the chamber lighting torches that had not illuminated this tomb for almost 500 years.

Lara personally agreed with Alex's assessment of Huascar's character, but her dealings with the behavior of ancient and often superstitious peoples informed her opinion.

"Likely it was Huascar's former status as ruler of the empire and being considered once as a god and son of gods that gave whoever buried him pause about treating his remains with less than the minimally required respect. That's the trouble with worrying about your immortal soul."

"I would have left his body for the carrion."

"By comparison, you, Alex, are a Renaissance man."

"Only by comparison, Lara? I guess I'm lucky that you didn't say that I was soulless and had nothing to fear."

Lara's delicately arched eyebrow rose in amusement. "Too easy."

"Gee, thanks, Lara." Alex stood at one of the short pillars that held the liquid with a finger poised to inspect the inky depths more closely.

"You know, some Renaissance men accidentally killed themselves experimenting with unknown substances."

"Uh, right." Alex tried to surreptitiously put his hand back in his pocket. Lara favored him with a brilliant smile. Alex's jaw tightened slightly as he made for the dais. It stood about two feet off the ground and was much wider and longer than was strictly necessary for the simple stone coffin that sat upon it. The reason for the size of the dais became apparent as they approached.

Surrounding the dais were piles of fine gray ash. Alex gestured at one of the piles. "Do you think that's…"

"Yes. Looks like whoever took care of Huascar's body was not so worried about bad karma or the loss of their soul when it came to dealing with his subordinates." Alex looked casually over the piles around the dais but Lara noted he took extra care as he walked past the pile of ashes to look more closely at the stone coffin. Alex ran his fingers along the seam of the lid.

"Looks untouched. " Alex started to fish through his pack. "Always be prepared," he stated succinctly as he pulled a short crowbar from his pack.

"From renaissance man to mathematician."

Alex looked at her quizzically, not sure what her statement meant and certain that he needed to know, since many of her comments were at his expense.

Sensing his suspicion, Lara glanced meaningfully at the crowbar and gave him a look that reminded him of one he'd get from Mrs. Hepplewhite in 3rd grade geometry. It silently shouted that he should know this one. Geometry!

Wagging the crowbar at Lara he quoted, "give me a lever long enough and I can move the world – Archimedes, right."

"I'll settle for moving the lid on this sad excuse for a sarcophagus."

"Now your talking, sweetheart. Luckily, you brought along the guy named after a warrior king, and not a mathematician." Flexing muscles with a cocky smile, Alex quickly wedged the lever into a small imperfection in the uniformity of the seal. After one tentative push to test how the tool was seated, Alex thrust down on the lever, tilting the seal of the sarcophagus high enough that Lara was able to get a handhold. Counting on Lara's strength, Alex deftly pulled out the lever and tipped his shoulder under the slab to add the additional force Lara needed to tip the weighty lid off to the side. It landed with a solid thunk off to the opposite side of the stone container. It was a testament to its construction that the lid remained intact even after hitting the ground so solidly.

Alex took a step back. Tombs, he had raided aplenty. But this was his least favorite part of the game. He reveled in the puzzles, coveted the treasure, but being faced with mortal remains always gave Alex pause. Lara was already pulling something out of the sarcophagus, her gaze intent on the something in her hand that was winking red fire.

Alex's vision was preoccupied with activities in the chamber of a far more sinister nature.

"Uhhhhh… Lara. I think we've got a problem here." Alex stole a quick glance around the raised platform. "Correction. I _know_ we have a _big_ problem here."

_**TBC…**_


	15. The Undead Can Be So Annoying

**Disclaimer – **Yup, all previously disclaimers still apply.

**Authors Note: **Our boy is now James Bond. Who would have thunk it? Oh that's right – a few of us may have explored the possibilities after that shower scene in the first movie. (Come on, admit it. That was one of your favorite parts of the movie, too)

**Chapter 15** – The Undead Can Be So Annoying

Sometimes fate hangs from a shoestring.

In this case, it was one untied shoelace belonging to Alex West.

Lara was bending over the sarcophagus studying the amulet. Its jeweled ruby eye winked at her in the dim light. The eye belonged to a feathered serpent depicted in gold. Alex had let Lara have her moment. He stepped down off the dais when he noticed that one shoelace had come undone. He hiked up the leg on the raised platform and bent down to quickly tie his shoe. He'd barely completed the mundane task when he caught movement out of the corner of one eye.

"Hey, Lara. Smoke."

She didn't even bother to look at him. "Really, Alex. You know I don't smoke. I thought that was at least one bad habit that you had avoided."

Alex's voice rose in alarm as he replied, "It wasn't a question. It. Was. A. Statement." Alex stabbed the air in front of him. "Look!"

Finally looking at Alex, her eyes followed to where he was pointing to the right of the dais as he backpedaled away.

The piles of ashes that circled the dais started to ooze an inky smoke. As it swirled ever higher, each pile of ashes began to diminish. ey LraAny odor had long since passed with age, but Lara could feel waves of cold that emanated from the columns of semi translucent smoke.

Lara heard a mildly blasphemous oath from Alex as he noted the next metamorphosis. Lara felt an identical dread as she saw the pillars of smoke struggle to form amoeba-like appendages that soon turned to distinguishable legs and arms. Instead of skin, all Lara could make out was the roiling smoke that made up each creature's mass. Faster than thought, Lara had both 45s trained on the nearest creature and began pumping shots – to no effect.

Alex already had his weapon drawn. Drawing back to avoid the oncoming smoky wraith, Alex was almost to the wall when the creature advanced to there as well.

It's objective was clear the moment it reached out an amorphous hand and scooped up one of the weapons. The wraith swung the odd sickle shaped weapon attached to a long wooden pole at Alex's head. Ducking just in time, the blade shrieked through the air and sent sparks flying as it connected with the wall.

Lara had already established the ineffectualness of her pistols. Grabbing a sword that whose owner had last donned Spanish armor over half a millennia ago, Lara raised her sword and aimed for the midriff of the smoky spirit. To her chagrin, but to no surprise, the weapon passed through the creature, creating a path that quickly remerged into the creature. "Alex, the blades don't work either."

Alex was dodging the creature, already having reholstered his handgun. Trying to get to the alter to collect one of the weapons, the creature effectively and repeatedly cut off the American. Sparing a glance at Lara, the adventurer replied, "Then why is this one so intent on keeping me away from the weapons?"

"We're missing something."

"I'll be missing a whole lot of something if one of us doesn't figure this out." Another of the wraiths had joined the first and were inexorably herding Alex away from the alter and walls that held the weapons. Lara was having more success. Using the flat of the blade, Lara was able to disperse a larger amount of the creature, which seemed to delay it somewhat as it took a few moments to reconstitute. Lara recognized that this was no solution. She would eventually get tired and the spirits seemed to be as unstoppable as the Ever Ready Bunny. Alex was already slowing down as he dodged the group of wraiths that were converging on each of them in ever tightening circles.

"Heads up!" Lara yelled as she maneuvered to a wall and scooped up another one of the swords. She flung it hilt first at the American, who snatched it out of the air with a smile of exhausted relief. But it was almost too late. The wraith who carried the scythe-like weapon feinted with blade end of the weapon and then swung the wooden hilt at Alex's legs, delivering a solid blow to West's knee and causing him to stagger and hit one of the odd pillars. Trying to regain his balance, Alex's free hand swung out blindly, smacking the bowl and its liquid contents and splattering himself and the wraiths nearest him with the oily substance.

The wraiths, barely corporeal as the inky smoke that made up their limbs swirled about, seemed to congeal wherever the liquid hit them. Lara's glance told her all that she needed to know. She maneuvered her attackers toward one of the columns and took one hand and swiped it through a bowl, spraying water over her attackers like a prankish child at a community pool. Her tactic worked better than Alex's accident. The fluid sprayed evenly over two of her attackers. Immediately, she swung her sword at the middle of her closest attacker and her return swing took a swipe at it's neck. The sword flung the goo and it struck the wall. The viscous substance left an oily trail, looking for all the world like a very large snail had just slinked down the wall.

The results on the wraith were also immediately apparent. Effectively cutting it into three easy pieces, the wraith did not reform. Instead the wet portions of the creature fell like precipitate and the rest dissipated in the air. He pretty much went up in smoke. The thought gave Lara a smile of wicked triumph. Now they had a plan.

Alex had been moved further out from the dais. Almost to the outer ring in the floor, he thought. The columns of fluid were fewer there but he had witnessed how Lara had dispatched the smoky wraith and what was good for the goose was good for the gander. He had to work lower because the wraith had more of the goo on his lower torso and legs – but the results were the same. Smoking boy was gone in short order and his friend was almost as easily dispatched. What concerned West was that it seemed that as soon as they offed one creature another of the piles came to life at the dais, and Lara was a closer target for them. He'd counted about a dozen piles and it looked like Lara had taken out at least four to his two. Alex started to work his way toward her as two more approached, cutting him off. It took the adventurer time to work the wraiths to another bowl.

Looking back to Lara, he saw that the spirits were outmatched. Some more of her hair had fallen out of her braid and one of the swipes from a creatures weapon had cut a path across her midriff. To his relief, Alex could see no blood where the cut had bisected her t-shirt. A couple of times that he was able to get a glance to follow Lara's progress, Alex saw she was watching him too. Was she actually worried about him? Maybe. Or possibly she was checking to see that he was taking out his fair share of the annoying apparitions.

They were now up to ten of the creatures dispatched to whatever appropriate resting place their beliefs in life would have consigned them to. Alex was feeling the worse for the exercise. His legs felt like lead and West found himself swinging with upward underhanded motions – the sword gaining additional weight with each strike, like it was a barbell someone kept adding weight rings to.

Lara could see Alex was tiring quickly. She was about ready for all this to be over too. One glance to check on Alex had almost been her last as the creature took advantage of her momentary lapse to swing under her guard. Not quite quick enough, but the cut across her stomach had come only a few millimeters from disemboweling her and served as a quite adequate warning. Yet, she couldn't shake the niggling guilt that she had goaded West into this adventure that he was not yet physically fit for.

West was worried about West. Lara was worried about him to.

So it was a great surprise to both the adventurers when it was Lara who found herself in mortal danger.

You could say it was like the floor fell right out from under her. Actually, that is exactly what it did!

TBC…

Another cliffie. Please don't hate me.

This story has truly taken on a life of its own and rarely lets me forget about it for long. I just wish I had more time to write. You all have been so wonderful about your reviews and encouragement. Thank you!


	16. Threads of Fate

**Darlian** – I always appreciate when you highlight your favorite parts – they're often the lines that I have the most fun writing.

**Shadow Rising** – Oh! Do keep those peepers in your head! Good reviewers are a gift of the gods.

**Emmy Chan** – I'm glad you appreciate the Math reference. I'm a science nut and don't get to use it much in my line of work. There just aren't enough Math and Science geeks in the world. Speaking of math, are you a **_Numb3rs_** fan? My life comes to a screeching halt on Friday evenings. I forgot to mention that you were the one whose review of chapter 14 reminded me that it had been a whole year since updating. _So if you've ever doubted the power of a review…_

**Disclaimers**: Done did 'em in Chapter 1

**Chapter 16: Threads of Fate**

The hollowed out cave that had recently resounded with the clang of metal on metal was now filled with a deafening grind of stone on stone. The concentric rings on the floor Lara believed ornamental were descending at an alarming rate all the way to the outer ring, leaving her stranded above in the area closest to the sarcophagus.

Lara heard a yelp and looked to see Alex caught unaware as he straddled the edge of the outer ring. It dropped beneath Alex's right foot and threw the adventurer off balance. She looked up in time to see one of the wraiths take a swing at Alex's head only to miss him as he dove toward the stable ground out side the rings. Unfortunately, the wraith also found footing on solid ground. The arc of the deadly sword nearly missed separating Alex's neck from his shoulders. The spirit would have been successful if Alex had been standing, but his dive and roll onto solid ground caused the sword to whistle smoothly over his head.

Taking advantage of his unexpected decrease in altitude, Alex swung under the guard of the last wraith he had already splattered with the oily liquid and deftly severed the creatures back bone. Eliminating the immediate threat to his person gave the blond archaeologist an opportunity to see what had happened to Lara. He did not like what he saw.

Lara was stranded over 30 feet away with a void between then that seemed deeper than any normal human could jump. The rings had dropped but not without damage. Either from age or design, the rings had collapsed leaving an uneven and dangerously jagged floor at least 40 feet below. The rumble of such great forces was testing the very stability of the chamber and chunks of the ceiling were dropping around them.

To complicate matters, the last two piles of ash were forming into wraith warriors. The remaining columns holding the bowls with liquid were now amongst the litter at the bottom of the chasm that separated Lara and Alex. Bad and worse, Lara thought. Lara took a position putting the sarcophagus between herself and the two wraiths. None of those handy columns with the bowls of liquid were located in the inner circle. All remaining were now a part of the refuse at the bottom of the chasm. With no liquid to help solidify the creatures, Lara was reduced to using the coffin as her only shield. There was not much maneuvering room and the wraiths were near the edge of the remaining center ring.

Suddenly Lara had an idea. Using her sword like a lever, she reached over the coffin and wedged it between the side of the sarcophagus and the lid they had dropped on it side during their pursuit of the amulet. Lara flipped the lid over and it tumbled toward to two wraiths. Whether it was a reflex left over from when they were mortal or just divine providence, the wraith stepped back to avoid the stone as it tumbled toward them… and fell straight down into the gap.

Lara heard the whoop of satisfaction from Alex as she scrambled to the side where the creatures had disappeared. Looking down, she was not surprised to see that they were still in one piece. They were made of smoke after all. But they were none too happy. Their mouths gruesomely opened wide in frustrated screams of defiance. She couldn't help herself. She waggled her fingers at the creatures and graced them with a wickedly triumphant smile.

"Hello boys." If anything the wraiths howled with even greater volume and irritation.

"I guess we're lucky that the bad guys have a tendency to fall for you with disgusting predictability," Alex wisecracked. "It looks like we've still got a bit of a problem."

Lara expected any second for Alex to make her an ultimatum… send over the amulet and I'll throw a rope to you. Instead she was mildly surprised to see Alex turn his back on her.

Soon she realized his intentions. He reached the wall and took a short spear down and turned back to Lara.

With a wry grin, Lara commented, "You know, Alex, we've been friends for a long time…"

"Har Dee Har Har, Lara. Don't tempt me."

Lara already knew Alex's plan before he jogged over to his pack and pulled out a coil of rope and tied it to the spear.

"Just be careful where you aim that, Alex. You wouldn't want the amulet to fall out of reach."

A wounded look passed over Alex's face so quickly that Lara was not sure that she saw it.

"Shut up Lara and just grab the damned rope."

Lara was wise enough to take the advice. As the spear sailed toward her, Lara snatched the rope deftly out of the air and the spear clattered harmlessly to the ground. Though it wasted quite a bit of rope, Lara had to wrap it around the sarcophagus. There was no other place on her island of stone to secure it. Done, her concern grew as she saw the ramifications of the loss of the extra length of rope. The opposite side of the rope fell woefully short of the nearest support pillar. Alex had already assumed a spread legged stance to brace himself, winding the rope around his waist and tying it – effectively becoming a human anchor. Both adventurers were accomplished climbers and both knew that this was not a preferred maneuver. They were rather short on pitons and carabineers, not to mention that the floor looked to be flawless and, short of a small explosive charge, there was no flaw to wedge and anchor into. The sarcophagus was on a raised dais so they had a slight downward tilt that was to Alex's advantage.

Lara could not help the concern she felt as she looked carefully at the hands that held the rope. She had a moment of doubt was she spied her handiwork. The bandages around Alaex's wrist were clean but stood in stark relief against her companion's tanned arms. Alex weighed more – it was true. But he was not one hundred percent. Lara scanned the cave one more time, looking for options. There were none. Alex had not missed her hesitation.

"Are you waiting to sprout wings?"

"That would seem more likely to succeed than what we are planning to do."

"Hey Lara. Have I ever let you down?"

Lara gave him a cold look, her lips pressing thin and eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Alex shrugged, a sheepish grin more charming than it had a right to be, lit his face, "Uhh. Right. Not the best choice of words. Have I ever let you down when it really mattered?"

"When it really matters?" Lara looked back down at the last two of the wraiths milling around in the gap below. "Your definition or mine?" She didn't wait for a reply. Grabbing the rope, she pulled her legs up and wound them around the rope. Head first so she could keep an eye on Alex, Lara pulled herself hand over hand.

Lara was making good time. Alex held the line secure, using his weight to lean back against the pull of her weight on the rope. He'd given way a step when she'd shifted her hands once, but had otherwise held his ground. Lara mentally made a mental note to email a thank you to the maker of Alex's hiking boots. If they weren't already advertising there nonskid grip, they should seriously give that angle some thought. Alex would make a great model… Lara smiled at the image of Alex as an advertising model, but was snapped back into reality when the object of her fantasy shouted a warning.

"Lara, I don't like this. It looks like they're planning something down there." Lara looked at Alex and followed his gaze to the pit where she saw one of nasty critters hefting a sword over his head.

It seemed that Alex came to the same conclusion she did as he yelled, "Ah shit! Lara, hold on tight." Luckily for Lara, she was already two thirds of the way toward Alex. The bad news was that she still had ten feet to travel when the wraith let loose the sword. It came flying toward her, spinning end over in a deadly cartwheel. She realized that the trajectory was all wrong. It wasn't going to hit her. Almost instantly she realized the creatures intentions. Behind her, Lara heard the whistle of air as the sword passed and the almost imperceptible _snick_ as it parted the rope beyond where she could see. As she came crashing toward the wall she did every thing she could to spin so that her shoulder and back would take the jarring brunt of the hit. She was almost successful. The force of the landing against the wall snapped her head back but she managed to take just a glancing blow.

From what sounded like gritted teeth she heard Alex inquire, "Considering there is still a substantial amount of weight pulling on this rope, you're still with me, Lara?"

Alex's voice sounded much closer to the edge than she remembered. Possibly dangerously close.

"_Substantial_ weight?"

"Another verbal faux pas? You know what I meant. Just glad to see you're still there. Is there any way that I can get you… to hurry this along?" Alex sounded winded and she was not pleased to here the squeal of rubber on smooth stone.

"I'll be along directly." All Lara heard in response was a grunt. She worked hand over hand. Truly, some of her motivation came from the thought that the creatures below might get their hands on another weapon and the place between her shoulder blades was beginning to itch. Occasionally, she felt a tug as Alex tried to help things along as well. She finally was able to grasp the uneven edge and pull her head above it. She got a sense of how close a thing it had been when Alex, sitting with his feet planted firmly a shoulder-length apart, reached forward to give her a hand. The toes of his boots were only inches from the edge. She really did need to find out the name of the company that made Alex's boots. She mentally upgraded the thank you note that she intended to a purchase of a few thousand shares of their stock.

Alex's hand was slick with what Lara thought was sweat. Lara ended up in an uncomfortably odd position sitting between Alex's legs. His lips were only a few inches away as he pulled her toward himself. The release of extreme physical and emotional stress can be quite an aphrodisiac; Lara thought as Alex's lips closed in on hers. On some disconnected level, Lara mused that Alex really could sweep a woman off her feet with just a kiss. Of course, she had yet to gain her feet, so maybe this one didn't count. She was surprised when it was Alex that broke off the sweetly urgent kiss.

Pulling back he favored her with an intense gaze as if trying to burn her image into his mind. Then the intensity was gone - as if it had never been. The lopsided smile was back.

"You, woman, are going to be the death of me."

"Yes it does look like my _substantial_ weight nearly pulled you over as well."

"That is so distinctly _not_ what I meant."

Confused by the kiss and her own willingness, Lara quipped, "You seem to be good at finding ways to get yourself into trouble without any help from me." She knew the partial untruth of that statement the moment she heard it. She'd been an equal partner in all of their escapades. Hell, her involvement had gotten him killed once already. Only the tutelage a loving father and her sharp wit had rewoven the thread of his life that the fates and Powell had seemed hell bent to cut short.

Alex looked around. Chunks of the ceiling were still dropping at odd intervals. "Time to blow this joint, Lara. No doubt Sosa will figure who is responsible for this if we don't high tail it out of here and hit the road first thing after Sosa and his goons get to work. I don't want to be within a hundred miles when he finds this mess."

Lara looked around and smiled with genuine appreciation and mischief. "It does seem like neither one of us have a talent for putting our toys away once we're finished playing with them." Lara scrambled to her feet, reaching down to return the favor and help Alex up. Alex pretended not to see her hand and tucked his hands quickly into the pockets of his cargo pants as he stiffly got to his feet.

Lara looked at her hand and saw a smear of blood, not her own. "Alex, your hands." Remembering the force of the impact, she winced.

"The rope slipped a little," he replied, not quite making eye contact. Then Lara did something completely spontaneously. She took his hand and turned it palm up. The angry rope burn broke the skin, but did not look severe. Lacking first aid supplies, she did the only thing she could for the hand that so recently held her fate. She leaned over and kissed it gently. Alex felt the fairy-light touch and bit back a smile. If he could get kiss for his hands, the blue-eyed adventurer wondered what Lara would give him if she saw where the rope had opened up a couple of wounds on his back. Alex could feel the dampness making his shirt adhere to the skin. Best not to press his luck, he mused.

Not ready to take in Alex's reaction, Lara headed down the tunnel leading them out of the cave.

Alex's hand curled closed, holding the ghost of the kiss as if in fear of losing it. And he smiled.

TBC…

A little romance to hold y'all over. Things do not go as smoothly with our two heroes from this point on. You know what the say about the course of true love…


	17. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory

**Author's Note:** I know that it has been a long, long time since I picked up this story. Every review that I have received in the last three years has been a pleasure to read and a painful reminder of how frustrating I find it when I run across a good but abandoned story. I lost my muse but never my devotion to this story – Lara and Alex are like long lost & neglected friends. There are too many wonderful reviewers to name you all, that have shared their encouragement over the last few years, but I want you to know I have treasured every one. I hope that a fair share of you will find your way back so that I can reward your patience with the end of this story someday soon. Only a handful of chapters left to go. Special thanks to **LiRA** and her cookies served so imaginatively served & **Hieko** for her detailed review - to any who have doubted that your efforts to review stories are truly appreciated. Reviews do have power to wake up a balky muse. Thanks to all of you who have kept checking on this story for the last 5 years – Oh boy, do I feel guilty now!

**Disclaimers**: See Chapter 1.

**Chapter 17: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.**

It truly is remarkable how the most momentous times in one's life can most often be tracked by the second and minute rather than by the hour. Having experienced this phenomenon many times before, Lara was not surprised that it was only just past 2 am in the morning. It had taken longer to hike up to the hidden back entrance to the tomb than it had to acquire the second amulet. Lara tapped the pocket that concealed the small, jeweled serpent. It would stay safely in her care, insuring that Alex would stick to their deal.

They were making better time on the hike back to the cottage. Alex seemed content to hang back and follow down the narrow path. Hillary and Bryce should be almost finished with the arrangements needed for a fast exit. Lara had purposely stayed back from the major work involved in opening the tomb. Since it was mostly heavy, manual labor, no one seemed to expect her involvement at this point and her absence in the morning would not be noted. When the morning's work resumed, the small village would be almost empty with the exception of a few villagers who seemed to have found that discretion is a survival skill.

To her surprise, the normally loquacious American was keeping silent for once. Occasionally, she would steal a glance back at Alex. He never missed a chance, and would normally make eye contact with a sweet slow smile and sometimes a gentle tip of the head. Unreasonably, she was annoyed at getting caught stealing peeks at West, but for some reason each time good sense could not seem to prevent her from doing it again.

Was it her imagination, or was West's grin getting broader with each stolen glance? Damned, arrogant American. He probably thought saving her life was some free ticket out of the doghouse. Well, maybe it earned him a few points.

As they approached the edge of the village, Lara turned toward Alex.

"Well, we finally have what we've been looking for. Now it's time for us to head out. We should think about leaving as soon as we get back to the village. With any luck, Sosa and his goons will start out to work on opening the tomb entrance and not notice our departure for hours. Once they've seen what we've done inside the tomb, none of us will be safe. Especially you, Alex." Lara smiled. "You've really done nothing to ingratiate yourself with Sosa and his goons."

Alex started to nod agreement, then realized that he needed to contact his friends.

"I have to stop in the village for a bit before we…"

Lara fastened the unfortunate American with a gimlet stare. Right hand on her hip, she arched one delicate eyebrow in disbelief.

"I know, but I can't leave without warning my friends that they might need to make themselves scarce. It won't take me but a few minutes."

Alex was not ready for what happened next. Lara rounded like a lightning strike. "That's all well and good Mr. West, but understand this, we are leaving with or without you and your jaguar amulet for Bolivia. Go say goodbye to your little _friend_ West, but you better make it quick." Her tone was clipped and cold.

They were coming up on the village. The unpaved streets and huts were only illuminated by the dim light of the moon. Alex was suffering from mental whiplash again – and he was getting damned tired of it. Could this possibly be the same girl who had been sneaking glances back at him during their moonlit walk?

"Look, Lara, it's not what you…"

"Think? You must mistake me for someone who cares. Save your explanation for someone that does." The cold sarcasm was punctuated with a spin of her heels as she quickly moved off in the direction of their hut.

Fear of disturbing the quiet prevented Alex from yelling an appropriate comeback. And frankly he was tired of having to explain himself. He was no angel and he had made plenty of mistakes in his time. But couldn't Lara see he had changed? Because he wasn't looking out for #1 anymore, he had to do his duty to warn Benito and Carmella for fear that Sosa's anger would backlash onto his friends in his absence.

Alex made his way to Benito's hut and was pleased to see that Carmella and Elena had already moved there under his protection. He quickly explained what had transpired and directed them to head for Bolivia. No matter how mad Lara was at him, he knew that she would not refuse offering his friends safe transport. There was no question that Sosa would be fast on their heels.

Alex took his leave and headed back to his own hut. He was pleased to see a soft light still shining from out of the windows. Lara had not made good on her threat. She was waiting for him. Even sore and exhausted, he could not help quickening his step in anticipation. If Lara had waited for him, maybe there was still hope. Smiling, he could not help announcing his arrival, "Honey, I'm home!"

Eye's adjusting to the dark, Alex made out the blanket wall Hillary had strung for Lara's privacy lifting, only to reveal Julius Sosa.

Without a moment's hesitation, the adventurer reached for his sidearm only to find two of Sosa's goons materialize from behind him where they were hiding on either side of the door. They grabbed at his arms causing the blonde's shot to go wide. At his full strength, Alex would have given them a better fight. As it was, the man holding his gun arm slammed Alex's still sensitive wrist into the wall. Alex's roar of pain and frustration as the gun dropped from nerveless fingers was cut off as Sosa drove his fist into the captured man's midsection, effectively driving the breath out of him.

"Gag him," barked Sosa, "I don't want any of his villager friend's coming to his rescue before West tells us where he put the amulet." With his arms tied behind his back and a knotted rag gagging him, Alex suddenly stopped his struggles and glared defiantly at Sosa.

"Yes, West. Lara slipped away with her friends before I realized what you two had been up to." Sosa's eyes glinted with anger & malice. "It looks to me like she decided to revert your ownership back to me. What an unexpected pleasure. Let's go gentlemen." Sosa's smile gleamed with cruelty as he watch his lieutenants drag their struggling prisoner out of the thatched hut. "I think we will celebrate with a tour of one of the more interesting archaeological finds in this area."

"Let's take the valiant Mr. West to the pit. I really need to find out the whereabouts of my property and the view will do wonders toward loosening his tongue."

**TBC…**


End file.
